Developer has to pay for violating ADA

A Charleston developer has agreed to pay fines, set up a compensation account and retrofit 30 apartment complexes that were not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The settlement between Douglas Pauley and the U.S. Department of Justice was announced Tuesday.

The DOJ said Pauley has more than 750 apartments in West Virginia that have accessibility barriers. Under the settlement agreement he and his affiliated entities will spent $1.7 million to make those apartments easier for those with disabilities to get around in including those in wheelchairs.

The corrective actions include “replacing excessively sloped portions of sidewalks, installing properly sloped curb ramps to allow persons with disabilities to access the sidewalks from the parking areas, replacing cabinets in bathrooms and kitchens to provide sufficient room for wheelchair users, and reducing door threshold heights.”

Pauley and others will pay $100,000 to set up a settlement fund for compensating those impacted by the violations. He was also fined $10,000.