Someone replied to my ad by email: “Hi, I found your listing on Trulia and would like to find out more about this property. Please let me know when you are available for a viewing. Thank you. My daughter contacted. You today I work in midtown as Asst property manager. My fiance works at roush_reliance as a test driver for pre production cars for gm we have 4 children were trying to come back to berkley so my daughter can finish school there I’m looking for a 4 year lease. My daughter said she made an appt for Tuesday to see home at 6.”
I relied: “this house may be too small for six people.”
The lady never contacted me again. I went the house to meet her or her daughter to show the house. I waited for one hour but no one showed up. After that day, I had three open houses. That lady or her daughter never came.
Recently, I received a formal complaint from Michigan Dept of Civil Rights and the HUD. That lady filed a complaint accusing me discrimination against her based on familial status.
Thank your guys for helping me to understand the situation with your posts and advices! The emails I pasted above are the only evidence for the case. My advertisements or rental signs or application form do not have anything pointing to restrictions or limitations. My question is: is my reply email a decisive statement or just a helpful suggestion? Whose interpretation has the final say? Can that sentence be the ground for a judgment? No matter what, I did not actually deny her the opportunity of rental. I never met her or talked to her (except to her daughter when she called to set up an appointment). She never came to the appointment or to the open houses. She has quickly sent a proposal to the Civil Rights department asking for $10,000 to satisfy her! What could happen to me? Please comment! I am really troubled!
