Hinckley — Ch. 38 Human Relations § 38-35
Blockbusting
Operative Text
It is a civil rights violation for any person to: (1) Solicitation. Solicit for sale, lease, listing or purchase any residential real estate within this state, on the grounds of loss of value due to the present or prospective entry into the vicinity of the property involved of any person or persons of any particular race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, familial status or handicap. (2) Statements. Distribute or cause to be distributed written material or statements designed to induce any owner of residential real estate in this state to sell or lease his property because of any present or prospective changes in the race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, familial status or handicap of residents in the vicinity of the property involved. (3) Creating alarm. Intentionally create alarm, among residents of any community, by transmitting communications in any manner, including a telephone call whether or not conversation thereby ensues, with a design to induce any owner of residential real estate in this state to sell or lease his property because of any present or prospective entry into the vicinity of the property involved of any person or persons of any particular race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, familial status or handicap.
Hinckley Ch. 38 § 38-35 identifies blockbusting as a civil rights violation. The provision prohibits any person from soliciting real estate transactions, distributing written materials, or deliberately spreading alarm among community members in order to pressure property owners into selling or leasing based on the actual or anticipated presence of people of a particular race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, familial status, or disability. All three forms of conduct—solicitation, written statements, and intentional alarm-creation (including phone calls)—are treated as violations of civil rights law under this section.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in Hinckley should be aware that § 38-35 of Ch. 38 prohibits receiving or acting on blockbusting solicitations, and that compliant real estate professionals do not engage in, encourage, or respond to communications designed to exploit demographic changes in a neighborhood. Operators generally document and disregard any unsolicited materials or calls that appear designed to induce a sale or lease on prohibited grounds. Familiarity with this provision helps owners recognize and reject tactics that would constitute a civil rights violation under local law.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Hinckley Ch. 38 § 38-35, tenants and community members are protected from efforts by any person to manipulate housing decisions by stoking fear about who is moving into a neighborhood. If a tenant or resident believes they have witnessed or been subjected to blockbusting conduct—such as alarming phone calls or distributed materials designed to destabilize a community on discriminatory grounds—they may consider reporting the conduct to a local human relations commission or fair housing organization. Tenant-rights organizations and fair housing agencies can provide information about how violations of § 38-35 may be raised or pursued under Hinckley's human relations framework.
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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