Bowling Green couple sued for bias in house sale

2/12/2005

BOWLING GREEN - The Ohio Civil Rights Commission filed suit against a Bowling Green couple yesterday, claiming they denied a woman the right to buy a house they had for sale because she was African-American.

In the complaint that was filed in Wood County Common Pleas Court, the commission alleges that Keith and Tracy Limes committed "unlawful discriminatory practices" and asks for unspecified damages and attorney fees for Christine Rayfus, her fiance, Tarryl Hamilton, and their minor children and foster children.

According to the complaint, Ms. Rayfus looked at a house on Cross Creek Road with her real estate agent July 1, 2003. When she returned to see it the next day, Mr. Limes's father, Alan Limes, told her it already was sold.

The complaint further states that Mrs. Limes contacted the real estate agent "and objected to the property being shown to African-Americans and [said] that the property would not be available to his clients."

The civil rights commission said an attempt to work out the dispute though informal methods was unsuccessful.

The case has been assigned to Judge Reeve Kelsey.