Key facts
- The DOJ, Rocket Mortgage, Solidifi U.S., Maverick Appraisal Group, and appraiser Maksym Mykhailyna are defendants in a Fair Housing Act case.
- The lawsuit alleges racial discrimination in a 2024 mortgage refinance appraisal that occurred in 2021.
- The DOJ and defendants have jointly requested a settlement conference to resolve the case.
- The homeowner alleged the appraiser used comparable sales from neighborhoods with larger Black populations while overlooking closer sales in predominantly white neighborhoods.
- The appraisal valued the home over $200,000 below a previous appraisal.
- Rocket Mortgage allegedly canceled the homeowner's refinance application after she challenged the appraisal.
The Department of Justice, Rocket Mortgage, and other defendants have jointly requested a federal court to pause discovery and pretrial deadlines in a Fair Housing Act case, citing a "reasonable prospect of settlement." The parties have requested a settlement conference before Magistrate Judge Timothy P. O’Hara.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2024, alleges that Rocket Mortgage, Solidifi U.S., Maverick Appraisal Group, and appraiser Maksym Mykhailyna discriminated against a Black homeowner during a 2021 mortgage refinance application. The DOJ contends the appraiser used comparable sales from more distant neighborhoods with larger Black populations while overlooking closer sales in predominantly white neighborhoods, resulting in an appraisal over $200,000 below a previous one.
After the homeowner challenged the appraisal, Rocket allegedly canceled her refinance application. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) previously found reasonable cause to believe the defendants violated the Fair Housing Act and referred the matter to the DOJ. The DOJ's complaint alleges discrimination based on race and color, while the homeowner's complaint also includes violations of the Civil Rights Act.
The case is currently in discovery, with parties having exchanged documents and completed written discovery. The motions seek to extend remaining deadlines until the settlement conference concludes. If no agreement is reached, the parties will submit proposed revised deadlines within seven days of the conference.