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A Black couple has settled their fair housing lawsuit against a real estate company after they received a home appraisal worth $500,000 less than their White friend, who pretended to be the homeowner three weeks later.
But when the home was finally reviewed, they were surprised it was appraised at $995,000 — far below their expected amount.
“The Austins believed that their race and the racial demographics of Marin City played a role in the low estimate of value and requested a second appraisal,” a statement from the FHANC explained.
Over the next three weeks, the couple — parents of two children — said they removed all evidence of their racial identity from the home and hired a different appraiser for a second opinion.
For the new appraisal, the couple had a White friend pretend to be the home’s owner. The second appraiser ultimately valued the home at $1,482,500 — nearly $500,000 more than the first.
The couple filed their fair housing lawsuit against the appraiser in December 2021, claiming housing discrimination due to race in the appraisal process, as noted in the release.
According to FHANC, the settlement agreement includes an undisclosed monetary amount with other terms, including a promise that the appraiser would not discriminate in the future and that they would watch the ABC documentaryOur America: Lowballed.
The appraiser is also asked to attend a training session regarding the history of segregation and real estate-related discrimination in Marin County.
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“We’re glad that we can put this lawsuit behind us,” Paul Austin said in the press release. “Having to experience everything that came with receiving the lowballed appraisal was overwhelming. Being able to tell our story and knowing we had legal recourse helped. We want others to know that if you experience discrimination, you can go to your local fair housing agency so they can investigate your case and help you if you want to file a complaint.”
source: people.com
