A Black couple are suing a real estate agency as they claim race played a significant role in their home being undervalued.
Per ABC 7, Paul Austin, 45, and his wife Tenisha Tate Austin, 42, from California say that their home's value increased by a whopping 50% when a white friend pretended to own their Marin City home.
The couple say that the property was valued at just $100,000 more than what it was valued at before it underwent substantial renovations, costing them $400,000.
The pair's home was valued at $989,000 by an appraiser in January - they originally bought it for $550,000 back in 2016.
However, its value rose by a staggering $500,000 when the couple got a white friend to pretend to be Tenisha, meaning the overall value shot up to $1,482,000.
Now, Paul and Tenisha have filed a fair housing lawsuit against Janette Miller, her firm Miller and Perotti Real Estate Appraisers, Inc., and national appraisal company AMC Links, LLC for the $487,500 difference in the two appraisals, The Washington Post reports.
"I read the appraisal, I looked at the number I was like, 'This is unbelievable," Tenisha told ABC 7 of the initial appraisal, adding that the individual who carried out the valuation was an older white lady.
The couple is certain that the difference in appraisals was racially motivated as "coded language" such as "Marin City is a distinct area" was used.
After the disappointment with the first valuation, the pair were determined to get their rightful money's worth from the property and pushed back against the appraisal. Eventually, they were approved for a second valuation.
That's when they came up with their plan to have their friend pose as the homeowner.
"We had a conversation with one of our white friends, and she said 'No problem. I'll be Tenisha. I'll bring over some pictures of my family,'" Paul said. "She made our home look like it belonged to her."
It was then that the property attained an almost 50% increase in value.
"There are implications to our ability to create generational wealth or passing things on if our houses appraise for 50% less than its value," Tenisha said.
The couple is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.