In a scenario where a seller cancels a sale due to the buyer’s ethnicity and HUD receives a complaint, what can the buyer do next?

• A. Go to court to seek damages
• B. Go to court and seek an injunction to keep the owner from selling the house until HUD investigation is completed
• C. File a complaint with the EPA
• D. Accept the cancellation and walk away

Answer: (B)

When a sale is canceled based on a protected characteristic, action under the Fair Housing Act is required, and courts can provide immediate relief to prevent ongoing harm. The best next step is to go to court to obtain an injunction that stops the owner from selling the house while HUD conducts its investigation. This urgent measure, often a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, preserves the buyer’s rights and prevents further discriminatory action before HUD’s determination. HUD handles the discrimination complaint, but the injunction is a court-ordered stopgap to protect the buyer during the investigation.

Filing a complaint with the EPA isn’t appropriate here, since environmental agencies don’t handle housing-discrimination cases. Accepting the cancellation would allow discrimination to stand and leave the buyer without recourse for the immediate harm. Pursuing damages in court is a valid remedy in some circumstances, but it does not address the urgent need to prevent the discriminatory sale from proceeding during the investigation.