A NorCal couple has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court, alleging a home appraisal company lowballed their home’s value because the owners are Black.
Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin, along with the nonprofit Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, are suing Janette Miller and her company, Miller & Perotti Real Estate Appraisals. The suit alleges that the Austins hired Miller to appraise their Marin City home, where, despite investing some $400,000 worth of improvements, Miller appraised the property at $995,000; far lower than previous appraisals.
The Austins then asked a friend, who is white, to pretend to be the home’s owner and request another appraisal. The Austins first “whitewashed” their home, removing family photos and African-themed art. Upon the new appraisal, the home came in at $1.48 million—nearly a half-million more than the previous estimate.
Paul Austin told the California Reparations Task Force that he believes the property was devalued “because we are in a Black neighborhood, and the home belonged to a Black family,” according to the Washington Post.
The couple is suing for financial damages and is asking the court to order the defendants to ensure they won’t discriminate when appraising houses in the future.
According to the Washington Post, representatives for Miller & Perotti Real Estate Appraisals did not reply when asked for comment.