Honorable v. Easy Life Real Estate System
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
100 F. Supp 2d 885 (2000)

- Written by Laura Julien, JD
Facts
Easy Life Real Estate System (Easy Life) (defendant) was a real estate company offering homes for sale on the west side of Chicago. Ruby Honorable (plaintiff) was the buyer of one of Easy Life’s homes. The area that Easy Life targeted was 95 percent African American. Easy Life offered Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans with low down payments. During transactions with buyers, Easy Life often made false representations. Specifically, Easy Life untruthfully told Honorable that there was only a single home she was eligible to purchase. Easy Life also paid off its buyer’s debts and provided them with funds for down payments under the guise that it was a gift from a relative. Buyers were discouraged from inspecting the homes prior to closing to hide the fact that the homes were not adequately rehabilitated. In cases in which the deception was discovered, Easy Life stated that it was too late to cancel the transaction. Honorable filed suit against Easy Life, alleging that it exploited buyers in a racially segregated housing market and intentionally discriminated against African Americans. The parties did not dispute the fact that a dual housing market existed as a result of racial segregation. However, Easy Life filed a motion for summary judgment, stating that exploitation theory required market power, which its expert witness testified at trial that it did not have.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Bucklo, J.)
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