Lynwood — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-209
Hearing
Operative Text
(a) Within 15 days of receiving a complaint from the administrator, the community relations commission shall, upon due and reasonable notice to all parties, schedule a public hearing on the complaint. The public hearing shall be scheduled no sooner than 30 days from the date of the notice, nor later than 60 days from the date of the notice. All parties shall be entitled to be represented by legal counsel, and shall have the right to call witnesses in their own behalf and to cross examine witnesses. All parties to the proceedings may apply to the fair housing review board to have subpoenas issued in the name of the community relations commission. Testimony taken at the hearing shall be under oath or affirmation and a transcript shall be made and filed in the office of the administrator. At least three members of the community relations commission must attend all proceedings. These three members must be the same three members throughout the proceedings, though others may attend as they wish. (b) Within 15 days of the transfer of a complaint from the administrator to the community relations commission, a complainant or respondent may elect to remove the hearing on the complaint to the circuit court. Notice of such election shall be served in writing on the administrator and all parties. Civil action for enforcement when election is made for such action shall be in accordance with the following provisions: (1) If such election is made, the municipality shall authorize, and not later than 30 days after the election is made the corporate counsel or his designee shall commence and maintain, a civil action on behalf of the aggrieved person in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking relief under this section, at the expense of the municipality; (2) Any aggrieved person with respect to the issues to be determined in a civil action under this section may intervene as of right in the civil action; and (3) In a civil action under this section, the court may grant any temporary or permanent relief it deems just and reasonable, including, but not limited to, the fines, penalties and remedies specified in division 7 of this article.
Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-209 establishes the procedural framework for adjudicating housing discrimination complaints. Once a complaint is transferred to the community relations commission, a public hearing must be scheduled within a defined window, with all parties afforded rights to legal representation, witness examination, and subpoenas. Alternatively, either party may opt to move the matter to circuit court within 15 days, at which point the municipality bears the cost of pursuing civil action on behalf of the aggrieved person, and a court may award any relief it finds just, including fines and penalties referenced elsewhere in the ordinance.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-209, a respondent landlord or property manager named in a complaint should be aware that proceedings before the community relations commission are formal: testimony is sworn, transcripts are kept, and all parties have the right to legal counsel and cross-examination. Compliant operators typically engage counsel promptly upon receiving notice of a scheduled hearing, given the 30-to-60-day window between notice and hearing. Respondents should also note the 15-day deadline to elect removal of the matter to circuit court, as missing that window forecloses that procedural option.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-209 gives complainants meaningful procedural protections, including the right to be represented by counsel, call witnesses, and request subpoenas during a community relations commission hearing. Tenants who have filed a complaint should be aware of the 15-day window after the complaint is transferred to the commission during which they may elect to move the case to circuit court, where the municipality would fund the civil action on their behalf. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Lynwood's human relations process can help complainants understand the differences between the commission hearing path and the circuit court path.
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.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation
Related Rules
Source Information
Use this in your app
Access this data programmatically via our API