Q: Sales agent denied me a viewing of a house in a new subdivision but allow another woman a viewing, is this legal?
I visited a new subdivision & fell in love with a floor plan. The sales rep. was unengaged during my visit & any feedback I got concerning the community I had to ask for it. I went back a week later to view the home again and the same rep, told me I could not view it because it had sold. I asked about the next phase and she said it didn't open for another couple of week. From the 1st visit I felt that she didn't want to serve me, show me the home or inform me of the opening of Phase 3 but just couldn't legally flat out say, "no".
The next day I sent a contact message from their website but I gave an alias name (Suzan) saying my parents were from Maine looking to relocate to NC and was specifically interested in the home she told me the day before I could not view. The same sales rep responded to the alias message indicating the home had sold BUT she could show it to me & phase 3 was now open.
I have the messages. (I am a black female & believe my race was a factor.)
A: It sounds like you have grounds for a complaint against the sales agency under the Federal and North Carolina's Fair Housing Act. You can do one of two things. File a complaint against the sales agency, or sue. I do not recommend suing on this kind of case without an attorney. A good place to start would be with the Fair Housing Project www.fairhousingnc.org You may qualify for assistance of an attorney to file your complaint. There are a lot of resource son that site including which agencies in North Carolina investigate these complaints. If they are overwhelmed or cannot help you, you can learn how to file your own complaint by looking at those resources. If you decide to sue, there is a two year statute of limitation on the claim. Good luck!
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