The value of Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin’s California home had been appraised to be about $500,000 less in 2020 than it was the year earlier.
This week, Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin have now filed a lawsuit in federal court.
The appraiser gave the Black couple’s Bay Area home a value of $995,500, far less than its supposed value of $1,482,500 10 months ago when their white friend disguised as the homeowner.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, they also “whitewashed” their home by concealing relative photographs and artwork.
The couple has now filed a lawsuit against Miller and her firm Miller and Perotti Real Estate Appraisers Inc. and a national firm, AMC Links LLC.
According to the Chronicle, The claimants will seek a jury trial, damages, and an injunction ordering the appraisers to refrain from the alleged discriminatory practices.
“We did our homework,” Austin reportedly told the Reparations Task Force in October.
“We believe the white lady wanted to devalue our property because we are in a Black neighborhood, and the home belonged to a Black family.”
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Austin and Tate-Austin have argued that “Marin City has a long history of undervaluation based on stereotypes, redlining, discriminatory appraisal standards, and actual or perceived racial demographics,” the Chronicle stated in their news report.
A study at Brookings Institute revealed that Home values in Black majority neighborhoods across the country are undervalued on average by $48,000.
As at the time of this report, AMC Links LLC and Miller’s firm, as well as Austin and Tate-Austin’s attorneys, were contacted for comment.
