It hasn’t yet been decided how much a Lawrence landlord must pay in damages after refusing to rent to an interracial couple in 2002.

A major reason for that, an attorney for the couple said Tuesday, is that the landlord is refusing to answer questions about his finances.

In May, a jury found that Rex Youngquist, owner of Villa 26 Townhomes, 2109 W. 26th St., committed illegal housing discrimination when his complex manager refused to rent to the couple. The jury also found he should pay punitive damages.

Since then, attorneys representing the couple have been seeking financial information from Youngquist, co-owner Gail Youngquist and manager Lynne Sander. But in a hearing Tuesday, attorney Bruce Plenk accused Rex Youngquist of having a “defiant and unresponsive attitude.”

As an example, Plenk said, Youngquist had given written response to one query saying he didn’t know details of how much income his properties generated or where the money went.

“He basically said to the plaintiffs and the court, ‘Get lost,'” said Plenk, who is representing the city’s Human Relations and Human Resources department on behalf of the couple, Wayne Jackson and Adrianne Morales.

The Youngquists did not attend Tuesday’s hearing. Sander, who is Youngquist’s daughter, testified her father had been out of town all summer.

• Jury finds landlords discriminated based on race (5-13-05)
• Racism alleged against landlord (5-12-05)

She testified he had properties in Texas, Panama and Peru in addition to the property in Lawrence.

Youngquist’s attorney, Chris Miller, said his client was making a good-faith effort to comply and was willing to furnish the information.

But Judge Stephen Six said “it doesn’t seem convincing” that Youngquist doesn’t know the details of his finances.

Six continued the case until this afternoon and ordered Rex and Gail Youngquist to appear.

In addition to punitive damages, the city wants the judge to order repayment of $58,001.25 in attorneys’ fees plus $3,120.60 in expenses, paid to attorneys Plenk and Max Kautsch.

Sander testified at trial that she never discriminated against Jackson, who is black, and Morales, who is Hispanic. She said she turned them down because she’d recently had a religious epiphany in which the Lord told her not to rent to unmarried couples.

Plenk, however, argued that Sander was “making things up as she went along” and had allowed other unmarried couples to remain at the complex.