The couple filed a discrimination lawsuit against Livingston County real estate agents

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

But it quickly became a nightmare and the two filed their claims in federal court. The two allege that they were discriminated against for being an interracial couple.

“I wanted to know what time we wanted to meet and he explained everything to me and when we got on it, he was like a different person when we walked in and he saw us,” Julie Franklin said.

In the lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, the Franklins allege that almost nothing of how the real estate agent acted felt right.

The lawsuit states that they were ignored, that no basic questions were asked, and that it was finally said that nothing less than the sale price would be accepted.

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

“I got in the car. I went home and cried all night. I just couldn’t believe it and then we have to tell the kids, “said Julie Franklin.

The Franklins sent complaints of discrimination to both the Livingston County Real Estate Association and the Fair Housing Authority, which said they should seek a lawsuit.

“We’ve been married for over 30 years and we’ve experienced some things as an interracial couple, but never anything like that,” she said.

The Franklins say this will not deter them from trying to get somewhere else on the lake, but they expect some responsibility.

“We would hate for that to happen to anyone else, and that’s the point,” he said.

The real estate agent of the lawsuit could not be contacted for comment.

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