Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California
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Thursday, May 6, 2021

Homeowner claims discrimination in home appraisal by appraiser - Carlette Duffy, Indianapolis, Indiana

Carlette Duffy, Carlette Marie Duffy, discrimination, 1329 fall creek parkway east, indianapolis, indiana, appraisal, appraiser, real estate

UPDATE 01/04/2022 Based on some information I received I believe the initial HUD discrimination complaint was dismissed. This is also based on one of HUD's reply to my FOIA request. They stated the investigation is over. As soon as I get written confirmation I will post it. Neither Carlette Duffy nor the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana fhcci.org stated they won so it's assumed they lost. As they released national press releases when they filed the complaint, it would make sense they'd release national press releases if they won the case. The complaint was filed May 2021.

08/02/2021 Just received a reply from FOIA HUD. As expected they said they won't release any information until their investigation is over. I requested the docs anew when their investigation is complete if they do investigate. Andre Perry recently stated 90% of HUD complaints are denied. I'm still trying to verify that information. This is the process for HUD complaints.


Just found some numbers. Only 2% of the HUD housing discrimination complaints had cause. This is for 2019. 37% had no reasonable cause, 7% withdrawn, 36% conciliated, 14% administrative closure, 4% DOJ referral. 





UPDATE: One of the appraisers responds to the accusation. Tim Boston stated, "Anytime I put a report out, I prepare with the intention of having to defend that report before a group of my peers," Boston said, "It's all data driven. So it's inherent in the data and I wouldn't know how to change that."


As I noted in the article his value was in line with the three robot values. It was based on numbers and facts.

The article stated this which is false. 

"A number of studies have found that Black-owned homes are undervalued when compared to those of white homeowners. This is especially true in historically Black neighborhoods. A 2018 report by the Brookings Institution finds that adds up to $156 billion in cumulative losses for Black homeowners."

I've read the Brookings "report" which was written by Andre Perry who is on a book tour to sell his book on the same topic. "Black-owned homes" weren't "undervalued" compared to those of "white homeowners." All of the homes in the report were valued by robots who didn't see the homes or homeowners. Appraisers did not appraise them. The robots valued the homes based on location, size, age compared to the sales prices of other very similar nearby homes. That is the basis of real estate valuation theory called "paired sales analysis." The robots did not know the race or color of any homeowner. African Americans, Latinos, POC, immigrants, poor people generally own homes in areas with lower home values than areas which have a higher percentage of predominantly white people. African Americans, Latinos, POC, immigrants are more likely to be poorer than white people. There is research which shows that. Poorer people regardless of color buy homes in cheaper areas because that is what they can afford. No homes were "undervalued." Black homeowners did not suffer any losses in this instance. The areas weren't 100% Black. What about a white person who owned a home in that area. Their home had the same value as a Black person. How does the Brookings report explain that? They don't because they can't because their theory of causation is inherently flawed. 

Again, racism and discrimination are real. Stating a robot is racist, biased and CAUSED black homeowners to lose money is ridiculous. This is correlation and not causation. The correlation is between the financial means of the homeowner and the price of the home they buy and own. 

ORIGINAL: Racism and discrimination in any form should never be allowed. Anyone who discriminates against someone in business especially real estate should be punished according to law. It's a violation of the Fair Housing Act to discriminate in real estate and housing. In the most recent alleged discrimination case and public government complaint Carlette Duffy says she was discriminated against in an appraisal for a cash out refinance of a home at 1329 Fall Creek Pkwy E Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana.
A previous owner who built the home was violently murdered in the home then it burned down in 2015. The land was listed for $15,000 ("This property includes a home that has been destroyed by fire & is being sold 'as-is' as an improved lot, demolition to be (sic) responsibiliy of the buyer.") then someone bought the land for $10,000 then told Building and Safety they were just "remodeling the breezeway" of the legal 3 bed, 1 bath 960 sf home (per plans apx 35' x 27' GLA (13' x 19' is breezeway which is open is not livable, 24' x 18' not attached to GLA of home or built with permits per building and safety)). The property is only 960 sf per the tax roll and Building and Safety. There is a 240 sf enclosed area which is not considered livable. If there is an addition or second bath, it's not to permit or legal. She would have to remove it if she were reported. They rebuilt the interior of the burned home and fixed some fire damage. That person then listed the home for $110,000 as 3 bed, 2 bath 1,400 sf and sold it to Carlette Marie Duffy for about $100,000 July 2017. Based on the comps at the time and history of the home it appears she over paid for the home. I have not personally seen or inspected the home.
2020 Carlette Duffy decides to refinance her home to take money out. You need perfect credit and tons of equity to take cash out of a home. You also need a good income. Carlette's income is online because she works for the government as the Reentry Director for the Office of Public Health. Carlette Duffy filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2009 (Duffy, Carlette Marie (db) 1:2009bk06962, Carlette Marie Duffy, Indiana Southern Bankruptcy Court 05/18/2009, 01/29/2013). Carlette missed making her payments and defaulted so she converted it to Chapter 7 and dumped her home on the bank in 2013 well after the great recession. As prices were rising that means she took all equity out of the home then couldn't pay back the loan. She was also unemployed with student debts and other permanent liens besides credit card debt and two cars.
Per the complaint March 2020 Carlette Duffy applied for a loan and an appraiser came out to the house. That appraiser appraised it at $125,000 per Carlette. Carlette wanted more cash out so demanded another appraiser. The second appraiser appraised it at $110,000. Carlette who is not an appraiser thought her home was worth $187,000. Again, she over paid for the home in 2017 at $100,000. It had new interiors per the MLS so no upgrades were needed.
Real estate appraisal is a math formula. That is why software programs can and do appraise homes. Below are the three most commonly used appraising programs. Their values for the property as of May 5, 2021 were Zestimate $108,000, Redfn $99,994 and Realtytrac $115,000. This is over a year after the appraisals. Homes have appreciated in the meantime so the robot appraisals could have been lower in March 2020. The blind software programs appraised the home for about what the first two appraisers appraised the home last year. There is no way a software program can be racist or discriminate as it doesn't see the people or even the home. Carlette is still not happy with those values so she complains and probably threatens to sue the lender.
This is when we must mention that Carlette Duffy sued a past employer for racial discrimination 1:2009cv00611 DUFFY v. INDIANA JUVENILE JUSTICE TASK FORCE et al. Carlette lost that lawsuit, appealed and lost again in 2011. The Court ruled she had absolutely no basis to claim discrimination based on the facts. Carlette has evictions, collections, other lawsuits on her civil record which she lost. She also was convicted of "CONSPIRACY/DEALING IN COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG" case # 49G20-9701-CF-012251 in 1998 and sentenced to five years in prison in Indiana. Carlette said her record was expunged but I still see it in the courts so I don't know if it was.
A third appraiser goes out and allegedly appraises the home for $259,000. I have not seen any of these appraisals, don't know the appraisers and am not appraising the home. Based on some comps I ran $259,000 appears very high. I pulled permits and see no legal additions or upgrades to the home since 2016 when it was "remodeled." I personally feel the $259,000 appraisal was too high. The subject is in Flanner House Homes Project on the very edge almost the last house. I think the third appraiser probably used comps from the historical district in the inner core. If you pull comps from Flanner House Homes the value should be closer to the first two appraisals and the robot appraisals.
I'll keep an eye on this complaint and will be sure to post the final outcome. FHCCI should have ordered a new or review appraisal of the three appraisals before filing the complaint. I think the complaint would have ended right there. We shall see. Below is the article and some pics of the home in 2016 and the plans.

#carletteduffy #discrimination #realestate #appraiser #appraisal #indianapolis #indiana #home #bias #racial Carlette Duffy, Carlette Marie Duffy, discrimination, 1329 fall creek parkway east, indianapolis, indiana, appraisal, appraiser, real estate









Below is a photo of the appraisal which Carlette Duffy showed on the news. That makes this is a public document. Because Carlette Duffy contacted the media about this appraisal and her home these items are now issues of public concern. I am commenting about issues of public concern about a public person. 


Below are the tax records for the home. It is legally a six room, three bedroom, one bath house. 





Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

7 comments:

  1. Mary, you ROCK! This is precisely the type of investigation that should have taken place before the hit piece ever got legs.

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  3. Mary, it sounds like you just proved the woman's point. If what you say about the home is true, then the 3rd appraisal should have never happened. What you fail to mention is that during the 3rd appraisal process, the only thing she did different was not mention her race on the application and had a white male friend stand in. Also are you mentioning this person's past to justify why she was possibly discriminated against?

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    1. I'm sorry. You think it was anything to do with race. read it more carefully the woman attempted to commit fraud. We need to know more about the 3rd appraiser and ask him if he was intimidated to give a higher appraisal. Because you know the woman has a history of fraud.

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  4. Yeah, this comment is for Mary Cummins.
    1st I'd like to say congrats on your mutipule advocating blog's..but I'm truly concerned about your malicious response to the the realestate appraisal because you don't have or anything to do with this individuals personal life and we'll being to make assumptions to something that you have absolutely no GAIN or ROYALTIES so with being said it sounds like your personal feelings have into the way for this individual and I question have you thought about some COUNSELING!!!

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  5. Wow, quite the homework done by Mary. Well done.... although not a good idea to say $259k was too high as that would mean you performed a 'review'.

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  6. Thanks for some true investigative journalism. Too bad the media pushed this out without any fact checking. This story is still being used to divide us. Please keep us updated on your FOIA request.

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