(1) In a civil action under KRS § 344.650, if the Circuit Court finds that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, the Circuit Court may award to the plaintiff actual and punitive damages, and subject to subsection (3) of this section, may grant as relief, as the court deems appropriate any permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order including an order enjoining the defendant from engaging in the practice or ordering affirmative action as appropriate.
(2) In a civil action under KRS § 344.240, 344.650, or 344.665, the court, in its discretion, may award the prevailing complainant, a reasonable attorneys’ fee and costs. The court, in its discretion, may award the prevailing respondent a reasonable attorneys’ fee and costs if the respondent establishes that the complaint upon which the action was based was brought in bad faith. Whether a party has committed bad faith shall be determined in accordance with Rule 11 of the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure. The state shall not be liable in any event for fees and costs.

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 344.660

  • Action: includes all proceedings in any court of this state. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes territories, outlying possessions, and the District of Columbia. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010

(3) However, no relief provided under this section shall effect any contract, sale, encumbrance, or lease consummated before the granting of that relief, and involving a bona fide purchaser, encumbrancer, or tenant, without actual notice of the filing of the complaint of a discriminatory housing practice complaint with the commission or the filing of a civil action.
Effective: July 14, 1992
History: Created 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 282, sec. 30, effective July 14, 1992.