Appleton landlords settle in case over access to emotional support cats, rats

An Appleton woman will receive $20,000 from two property managers after she alleged they discriminated against her right to keep emotional support animals — including two cats and three rats.

The money is part of a settlement in federal court, with the landlords also required to complete training in accommodating disabilities as required under the Fair Housing Act.

There was no finding of liability against the landlords, Tammy Estrada and Ramiro Estrada, who were accused of discriminating against their former tenant Ashlee Crosno’s emotional needs.

In its final determination, a federal attorney said the landlords must adopt a reasonable accommodation policy and attend fair housing training.

That put an end to a saga that began in the spring of 2022 and culminated in a federal complaint being filed in November of 2024.

In the complaint filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Crosno’s attorneys said that she, her husband Michael and their minor children lived in a property owned and managed by the Estradas for eight years. During that time, Crosno experienced debilitating mental health conditions for which a doctor recommended access to animals.

Those animals were a calico and white cat named Chloe, a black cat named Ruthless and three rats named Christopher, Pebbles and Butters, according to the complaint.

Crosno said the animals provided unique mental health benefits. Chloe soothed her at night and eased her loneliness; Ruthless liked to be walked outside; and the rats encouraged Crosno to be active and playful inside the home.

But in 2022, according to the complaint, the Estradas said they would only allow one emotional support animal on the premises, with breed restrictions. The complaint alleged that this response, and the Estradas’ subsequent denial of the request, did not distinguish between pets and assistance animals.

The landlords then reportedly spoke with an attorney and sent an updated agreement about assistance animals that would require Crosno to receive approval before acquiring the animals, and subject her family to a new eviction process for any violations. The complaint called this an “unreasonable condition” on a protected accommodation.

Over ensuing months, the dispute escalated, with the Estradas allegedly messaging the Crosno family on social media and threatening their attorney. During that time, Crosno also adopted a therapy dog to assist with trauma related to showering.

After the Crosnos filed a federal fair housing complaint, Tammy Estrada allegedly threatened to call the police on an investigator from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The dispute culminated in the Estradas declining to renew the Crosnos’ lease — which the complaint alleged was an act of retaliation in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.

In September 2023, more than a year after the conflict began, the Crosno family moved into a new apartment that cost about three times what they had been paying before. Tammy Estrada then allegedly contacted the new landlords, stating that Crosno’s husband had lied about his service in the Army National Guard.

All of this amounted to violating Crosno’s civil rights, according to the complaint, including by not accommodating a disability and threatening a person for having exercised a protected right.

Late last month, U.S. attorneys entered into a settlement resolving those claims. According to the terms of the settlement, the allegations laid out in the complaint have not been confirmed.