On July 15, 2024, the HUD charged multiple entities with housing discrimination for issuing a biased appraisal and then denying a refinance loan application in Denver, Colorado. HUD charged appraiser Maksym Mykhailyna, appraisal company Maverick Appraisal Group, appraisal management company Solidifi U.S. Inc. and lender Rocket Mortgage, LLC.
The HUD alleges that the appraiser issued a discriminatory appraisal that undervalued a Black homeowner’s property on the basis of her race. The Charge alleges that Maksym Mykhailyna and his appraisal company, Maverick Appraisal Group, issued an insupportably low appraisal of a duplex owned by a Black woman in a predominantly white area of Denver. Furthermore, the Charge alleges that, when the homeowner complained to Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Mortgage would only proceed with her refinance loan application based on the appraised value that she alleged was discriminatory.
A United States Administrative Law Judge will hear HUD’s Charge and if it finds, after a hearing, that discrimination has occurred, the judge may award damages to the homeowner for her losses as a result of the discrimination. The judge may also order injunctive relief and other equitable relief to deter further discrimination, as well as payment of attorney fees.
Read the HUD’s press release here.
The Charge can be found here.