A federal court has struck down, another restrictive pool use rule. On April 22 the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the A Country Place Condominiums in New Jersey violated the Fair Housing Act by implementing pool rules for male and female only swim times.

By adopting a sex-segregated swim schedule, A Country Place was attempting to accommodate residents’ religious beliefs to maximize use and enjoyment of its pool. Nevertheless, the court held, “On the facts before us, the pool schedule plainly discriminates…

Ron Perl, past CAI president and member of the College of Community Association Lawyers, explains the ramifications of the ruling. He noted that the decision’s limitations and highlights where the court found gaps in the association’s arguments in support of sex-segregated swim schedules.

Associations often violate the Fair Housing Act by adopting well-intentioned or so-called “commonsense” pool rules. Examples include pool age restrictions based on sanitation concerns or requiring minors (or children under certain ages) to be accompanied by a parent or guardian while at the pool.

In HUD v. Paradise Gardens Homeowners Association, an administrative law judge held that a rule promoting sanitary and healthy swimming facilities by prohibiting children under age 5 from entering the swimming pool violated the Fair Housing Act. At trial, a public health expert testified there are no discernable differences in the amount of fecal material in adult-only swim facilities and all-age swim facilities. The association did not produce any evidence that its rule improved sanitation or protected the health of other swimmers. The administrative judge ruled there was no legitimate basis for the rule.

In Iniestra v. Warren, a 9th Circuit Court held that safety and decorum concerns are not valid bases for rules requiring supervision of minors while using pools. Dismissing arguments over swimmer safety concerns, the court wrote, “Indeed, it is entirely possible that younger children might be more adept swimmers than their older counterparts.”

The court also brushed aside arguments that maintaining decorum at swimming facilities through mandatory child supervision is a legitimate business concern. The court noted that children are likely to be noisy while under adult supervision and cited Landesman v. Keys Condo. Owners Ass’n, which held that while the desire for peace and quiet may be a worthy goal for a community association, it “is not a justification for denying access to common facilities on the basis of familial status.”

These are three cases where pool use restrictions violated the Fair Housing Act. To avoid being added to this list, associations should follow the tried and true advice of Perl that associations always “consult with counsel prior to adopting any rules (pool or otherwise) that could be considered discriminatory…”

It only takes one call to avoid an expensive legal battle and to ensure your community’s facilities can be enjoyed by all residents.

  • C. Scott Canady

    Scott Canady's 13-year record of public service includes experience gained in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    In Congress, Scott served as chief policy and political aide to a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, working to reform the National Flood Insurance Program and improve the regulation of housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

    Following his time in Congress, Scott was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Scott served as a key legislative liaison with members of the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee.

    In 2009, Scott began his partnership with Community Associations Institute by launching Tambala Strategy. Through this partnership, Scott has worked with CAI's members and leadership team to advance the views of common interest communities on a variety of issues including federal condominium standards, federal disaster assistance for community associations, and community association lien priority.

    Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Louisiana State University and a Master of Public Administration from the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government.

Subscribe To Our Blog

Receive notification of new posts by email

We sent you an email to confirm your subscription.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This