Lynwood — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-231
Penalties
Operative Text
(a) Any person violating any provision of this article may be directed by the community relations commission to: (1) Cease and desist from any violation of this article; (2) Pay a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest: a. In an amount not exceeding $10,000.00 if the respondent has not been adjudged to have committed any prior violations of any provision of this article; b. In an amount not exceeding $25,000.00 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed one other violation of this article during the five-year period prior to the filing date of the current complaint; and c. In an amount not exceeding $50,000.00 if the respondent has been adjudged to have committed two or more violations of this article during the seven-year period prior the filing date of the current complaint. (b) There shall apply in all cases except that if the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice that is the object of the complaint are committed by the same individual who has been previously adjudged to have committed acts constituting a discriminatory housing practice, then the civil penalties set forth in subsections (a)(2)b. and c. of this section may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any subsequent discriminatory housing practice occurred.
Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-231 establishes a tiered civil penalty structure for violations of the city's human relations article, which covers discriminatory housing practices. A first-time violator may face a civil penalty up to $10,000, a repeat violator with one prior adjudicated violation within five years may face up to $25,000, and someone with two or more prior violations within seven years may face up to $50,000. If the same individual has previously been found to have committed discriminatory housing practices, the higher penalty tiers can apply regardless of how much time has passed between violations.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in Lynwood should be aware that § 54-231 empowers the Community Relations Commission to issue cease-and-desist orders and impose escalating civil penalties for adjudicated violations of the human relations article. Compliant operators generally maintain clear, consistent, and non-discriminatory policies for tenant screening, leasing, and housing services to avoid any conduct that could be referred to the Commission. Prior adjudicated violations are tracked and can significantly increase the financial exposure a respondent faces in any subsequent proceeding under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-231, tenants who believe they have experienced a discriminatory housing practice may file a complaint with the Community Relations Commission, which has authority to order violators to stop the offending conduct and pay civil penalties. The penalty amounts available to the Commission increase if the respondent has a history of prior adjudicated violations, which means documented patterns of discrimination can result in greater accountability. Tenants can learn more about the complaint process by contacting the Commission directly or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance on available enforcement paths.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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