Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co.

BLACKMUN, Circuit Judge.

This case comes close to raising nakedly the question whether, in the absence of federal and state open housing legislation, an owner of a home, which is on the market for sale, may refuse to sell that home to a willing purchaser merely because that purchaser is a Negro. The district court has phrased the sensitive issue, in the case’s factual context, as follows:

“[T]he issue is whether the willful refusal of an owner of private property, who is developing a private subdivision thereon to sell a part of his property to a Negro solely because of race entitles the person…