June 16, 2025 – The owners of approximately 80 rental units in and around Susanville have agreed 
to pay $1 million to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging that owner Joel Lynn Nolen sexually harassed female tenants and prospective tenants for more than a decade in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The settlement resolves claims against Joel Nolen, Shirlee Nolen, and Nolen Properties LLC.
The Department of Justice’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California in February 2023, alleged that Joel Nolen’s sexual harassment included unwelcome sexual acts and unwelcome touching, demanding sexual acts to terminate eviction proceedings or forgive missed payments, unwelcome sexual comments, soliciting explicit photographs, and adverse housing actions against tenants who rejected his sexual advances.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “My office will continue to hold accountable any landlord who enables or engages in sexual harassment or retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.”
Under the consent order, which must be approved by the court, defendants must pay $960,000 to 19 tenants and prospective tenants harmed by Joel Nolen’s harassment and a $40,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order permanently bars Joel and Shirlee Nolen from managing residential rental properties, requires Joel and Shirlee Nolen to hire an independent property manager, mandates training and policies to prevent future discrimination, and requires Joel and Shirlee Nolen to take steps to vacate discriminatory evictions and repair credit of tenants harmed by the harassment.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The department previously reached a $100,000 settlement with several defendants who co-owned rental property with Nolen.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia Morris and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorneys Arielle R. L. Reid and Alan A. Martinson handled the case for the United States.
Source: DOJ Release