A Black couple whose home was valued nearly $500,000 higher when their white friend posed as the owner has won a settlement in their lawsuit against the appraiser,When Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin's home in Marin City, California was appraised by Janette Miller of Miller & Perotti at $995,000 in 2020, they were suspicious because it had been valued at $1.45 million a year earlier, according to court documents viewed by Insider.
That second appraisal valued the home at $1.48 million – a $487,500, or 49%, increase from Miller's appraisal just three weeks earlier, per the filing. Court documents say her appraisal noted Marin City's"distinct marketability which differs from the surrounding areas," which lawyers argue"is coded based on race." Marin City is a historically Black neighborhood in what theThe couple will now receive an undisclosed sum, while the defendants must also watch a documentary on the topic called"Our America: Lowballed," per NBC News.
The plaintiff's attorneys and Miller & Perotti did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside US working hours.
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