Couple filed a discrimination lawsuit against realtor in Livingston County

LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Mich. When Julie and Verdell Franklin saw their dream home on sale on Zukey Lake in Livingston County, the couple knew they had to act fast.

But it quickly turned into a nightmare and the two brought their claims to federal court. The two allege that they were discriminated against because they were an interracial couple.

“She wanted to know what time we wanted to meet and explained everything to me and when we got up there, she was like another person when we walked in and she saw us,” Julie Franklin said.

In the lawsuit filed in the eastern district of Michigan, the Franklins claim that almost nothing about how the broker acted felt right.

According to the lawsuit, it is ignored, no basic questions asked and ultimately said that nothing less than the listing price would be accepted.

The Franklins made their offer at the price of $ 300,000 and waited. A few weeks later, they saw that the cottage had been sold for the same price with a mortgage on a white man.

“I got in the car. I just went home and cried all night. I just could not believe it and then we have to tell the children, “said Julie Franklin.

The Franklins have sent complaints of discrimination to both the Livingston County Realtors Association and the Fair Housing Authority saying they should look into a matter.

“We’ve been married for over thirty years and have been through a few interracial couples, but never anything like that,” she said.

The Franklins say it will not deter them from trying to find another spot on the lake, but they are hoping for some liability.

“We’ll hate it with anyone else, and that’s the point,” she said.

The broker in the case could not be reached for comment.

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