Showing posts with label New York Attorney General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Attorney General. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

New York State Attorney General's Office Stops Illegal Source of Income Housing Discrimination in the Albany Capital Region

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James has stopped two brothers and their spouses who own three rental buildings in the Capital Region from illegally denying housing opportunities to low-income renters. An investigation by the New York Office of the Attorney General (OAG), found that Greg and John Karian – who own or manage 24 rental units in buildings located in Glenmont, Albany, and Troy – violated New York’s human rights laws by refusing to rent to New Yorkers with housing vouchers. The Karians advertised that they do not accept Section 8 vouchers and charged exorbitant fees on late rent payments in violation of the law. As part of a settlement with OAG, the Karians and their employees must rent at least three units to applicants using housing vouchers, undergo anti-discrimination training, and take other actions to make housing more accessible for low-income renters.

Rental vouchers such as the Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program provide housing assistance to the lowest-income households to rent decent, safe housing in the private market. These programs also aid senior citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes, displaced families, and homeless individuals with disabilities.

The OAG opened an investigation into the Karians’ alleged discrimination in September 2024 after online rental listings for their properties warned that they did not accept renters using Section 8. Throughout the investigation, OAG found multiple instances of discriminatory practices, including refusing to rent, lease, or negotiate with prospective tenants who intended to pay for some or all of their rent with housing subsidies; advertising that their rental properties do not accept Section 8 housing vouchers; and charging exorbitant fees of $100 for late rental payments.

The settlement with OAG requires the Karians: (1) to rent at least three units to applicants who use a housing subsidy within the next year, and must also renew the lease of these tenants for at least a one-year term, provided the tenant elects to renew; (2) to attend anti-discrimination training and implement an anti-discrimination policy to distribute to everyone involved in the rental process at their properties; (3) to publicly advertise their acceptance of Section 8 and other housing subsidies by placing an “Equal Housing Opportunity” sign at each of their properties and indicate they are an “Equal Housing Opportunity Provider” on any advertisement, listing, or social media post; (4) to provide OAG with copies of the application, lease, and renewal lease of any applicant or tenant who pays for all or some of their rent with housing subsidies and must update their lease to limit late fees to 5% of the monthly rent or $50, whichever is lower, and solely one late fee may be charged per month; and (5) to pay $3,000 in penalties and $6,000 more if they do not comply with the terms of OAG’s agreement.

It is illegal in New York State for any owner, managing agent, broker, or any other representative to refuse to rent, sell, or lease housing to any person based on their source of income. New Yorkers who suspect they are victims of source of income discrimination are encouraged to file a complaint online.

Read the April 15, 2025 New York State Attorney General's office press release.

New York Attorney General Sues Payday Lending Companies for Exploiting Workers with Illegal Loans

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued payday lenders MoneyLion Inc. (MoneyLion) and DailyPay, Inc. (DailyPay) for taking advantage of tens of thousands of New Yorkers with illegal high-interest loans that violate New York usury laws. The Attorney General's office alleges that both MoneyLion and DailyPay make paycheck advance loans to hourly workers in exchange for fees and tips, pretending to simply be advancing “earned” wages. Due to the short terms of the loans, the fees MoneyLion and DailyPay charge amount to outrageous annual interest rates in the triple digits, frequently up to 750%. Both payday lenders also engage in abusive tactics that push workers to frequently take out new loans to cover gaps created by their prior loans. With these lawsuits, Attorney General James is seeking to stop MoneyLion and DailyPay’s illegal payday lending practices in New York, obtain restitution for thousands of impacted workers, and impose civil penalties.

In a typical transaction with DailyPay or MoneyLion, a worker receives a small amount in advance of their paycheck (usually less than $100) and repays that amount, plus fees and tips, in 7-10 days. The result is an extremely high annualized interest rate ranging between 200-350% on average, but rates for these short-term loans can reach much higher. For example, DailyPay’s most common loan, a seven-day $20 paycheck advance offered for $2.99 actually reflects an annual interest rate of over 750%. Over half of all MoneyLion loans impose annual interest rates above 500%.

Attorney General James also alleges that both companies employ deceptive advertising to entice workers into taking out their exploitative loans. MoneyLion promises instant access to funds, 0% interest rate, and a fee-free product. Actually, it charges mandatory fees for all loans where funds are immediately available, which can be as high as $8.99 for a $100 advance scheduled to be repaid in two weeks from when the loan is issued. This reflects an annual interest rate of 234%. To extract even more money from its customers, MoneyLion asks for tips on top of its fees and establishes an artificial limit of $100 per transaction that forcing workers to take out repeat loans and pay repeat fees just to receive the $500 they are promised in MoneyLion’s advertisements.

It is alleged that DailyPay engages in similar fraudulent and deceptive practices. It contracts with employees’ companies, requiring employers to send their workers’ paychecks directly to the lenders first on payday, which allows it to deduct all amounts it is owed before passing on any remaining balance to employees. While it promises workers interest-free advances and financial benefits, DailyPay collects fees on about 90% of its loans.

DailyPay filed a federal lawsuit last week against AG Letitia James, seeking to block the state’s action.

Read the April 14, 2025 NY State Attorney General press release.

Read the April 15, 2025 PaymentsDive article.