Effingham — Ch. 17 Art. VI Fair Housing § 17-142
Disclaimer of liability
Operative Text
(a) Except as may be provided otherwise by statute or ordinance, no official, commission member, agent or employee of this municipality shall render himself personally liable for any damage that may accrue to persons or property as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties under this article. (b) Any suit brought against any official, commission member, agent or employee of this municipality as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties under this article shall be defended by the municipal attorney until the final determination of the legal proceedings. State Law reference-- Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act, Ill. Rev. Stat., Ch. 85, Part 1.
Section 17-142 of Effingham's Fair Housing ordinance establishes that municipal officials, commission members, agents, and employees are generally shielded from personal financial liability for actions they take in carrying out their duties under Article VI. If a lawsuit is filed against any such individual arising from those official duties, the municipal attorney is required to provide a legal defense through the conclusion of the proceedings. This provision is grounded in the broader protections of the Illinois Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 17-142, the liability and defense protections described apply to municipal personnel administering the Fair Housing article, not to private landlords or property managers. Operators should understand that complaints or enforcement actions brought through the municipality involve officials who carry this immunity, which shapes how municipal proceedings function. Landlords navigating fair housing matters in Effingham generally benefit from understanding the institutional framework within which local officials operate.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 17-142 clarifies that municipal officials and staff enforcing Effingham's Fair Housing article are generally protected from personal liability for their official acts, and that the city provides their legal defense if they are sued in that capacity. This means that when tenants pursue fair housing concerns through local channels, they are interacting with a municipality-backed enforcement structure rather than individuals acting on their own. Tenants with fair housing concerns under Article VI may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand how this institutional framework affects available remedies.
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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