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I'm in California and I inquired about residency at a membership-based co-living agency...
For those that don't know, it's basically a building where people share common areas and bathrooms and sleep in pods...and they also have private rooms (which is what I was interested in)
So they directed me to the website to apply, and there was some type of system error on their website that was making the application page malfunction....
I notified them of the problem and they told me they would go ahead and schedule me for a virtual tour and they will have the website fixed in the meantime...
So we have a quick tour and they ask me a few questions. So today I receive an email from the girl that gave me a tour that they rejected me for membership. And I'm baffled because the girl and I had a very brief tour and I didn't even get to apply because the website is down????
I also don't look weird and didn't say or do anything weird on the virtual tour so I'm confused???
Is it legal to deny some before they even apply?? I didn't even make it to the application? Not even a background check, credit check, or income inquiry?????
This can't be legal.... ESPECIALLY IN California????
So we have a quick tour and they ask me a few questions.
Just a guess, but your answers to those questions were not the answers "they" are looking for in a resident. Without knowing what was asked and answered, the rest of us are stuck with a guess.
Salespeople can be very nonchalant and subtle in prequalifying a client without the client realizing the conversation is salted with prequal questions. I am not judging your performance--I have no basis, but think back to those questions and your replies--should give you clues.
You could start a lawsuit but do you have the time and lot's of money to make it worth maybe winning or even worse losing. It'll cost you up front thousands of dollars just to hire a lawyer.
You could start a lawsuit but do you have the time and lot's of money to make it worth maybe winning or even worse losing. It'll cost you up front thousands of dollars just to hire a lawyer.
I'm in California and I inquired about residency at a membership-based co-living agency...
Is it legal to deny some before they even apply?? I didn't even make it to the application? Not even a background check, credit check, or income inquiry?????
This can't be legal.... ESPECIALLY IN California????
Perhaps it's structured as a membership specifically to avoid having to comply with anti-discrimination guidelines required in a traditional real estate transaction.
This sounds more like a co-op situation. Co-ops can and do reject members that don't support the co-op's purpose or raise red flags.
No lawyer. it's not worth a lawsuit. Unless you can absolutely prove you were denied as a result of belonging to a protected class in some way, no lawyer worth having will take this case.
Think of it like a roommate situation. If I was renting a room in my house, I might interview people virtually. If someone came across as problematic, I don't have to accept them as a roommate. It doesn't matter that they didn't have an opportunity to fill out an application.
What are your damages? What will you recover if you win? Do you have $30,000 to pay for a lawsuit?
What is the potential basis for your claim? They can deny your membership if they simply do not like you. They cannot deny your membership if you can prove the reason is a protected classification (race, gender, age, sexual preference). I am not an expert in this area of law, but I can tell you being in a lawsuit is horrible, time consuming and expensive. Very few people are ever glad that they got into a lawsuit when it is all over, even if they win.
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." - Groucho
That's my thoughts.
Oh yeah.... you'd be wasting your money throwing it away to a lawyer.
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