The case, United States v. David Montanus and Lisa Montanus, centers on a New Hampshire landlord couple who allegedly evicted a tenant after she sought police assistance during a domestic-violence incident. The DOJ filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire in May 2025, alleging the Montanuses violated VAWA's Housing Rights Subpart, which prohibits housing providers from taking adverse actions — including eviction or the threat of eviction — against tenants who seek law enforcement or emergency assistance.
Under the settlement, the Montanuses must pay $25,000 to compensate the complainant and her minor children and are barred from making adverse credit reports related to her tenancy. The three-year agreement also requires the defendants to comply with VAWA and prohibits adverse credit reporting regarding the complainant's tenancy. If the defendants acquire rental properties during the three-year term of the settlement, they must report those acquisitions to the government and undergo VAWA training.
The case reached the Civil Rights Division after HUD received a complaint, investigated, and issued a charge of discrimination.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said that tenants have a right to request law enforcement and emergency services when they need assistance, and that no one should face the choice of calling for help or losing her housing. U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire said that penalizing survivors of violence with eviction for seeking help revictimizes them. HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor said he would not allow women seeking police intervention in a domestic-violence situation to later be victimized with an eviction.
In 2022, Congress reauthorized VAWA and added provisions strengthening housing protections for people who require emergency assistance at their homes, including survivors of domestic violence.