Gay Couple Wins £5,000 Damages After Estate Agent Prints 'lesbians' On Advert For Their House

[The Masked Tulip]

When Suzanne Richards and Sarah Dobinson decided to sell their £650,000 home, they expected professional service from their estate agents.

Instead, they were left feeling ‘insulted and violated’ after a staff member outed them as a same-sex couple in a website advertisement.

Logging on to check how their period home was being marketed, they were horrified to find the word ‘lesbians’ in the space where prospective buyers would expect to see a reference number.

Three employees from a local branch of Jackson-Stops & Staff inspected the property and an advert was subsequently placed on the Rightmove property website, where the offending comment appeared. It is believed it was placed there as a joke.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...vert-house.html

[The Colour]

It is believed it was placed there as a joke.

And I'm sorry for saying this, but that is well funny!!!

[Le garçon]

Nice and easy way to make £5k ....

[Concrete Jungle]

She added: ‘Publicly linking our home address with our sexuality could have ruined our lives.’

But having your ugly mugs and story all over the papers will not

[Britney's Piers]

When Suzanne Richards and Sarah Dobinson decided to sell their £650,000 home, they expected professional service from their estate agents.

I can find two things wrong in this sentence.

[Austin Allegro]

If they were offended by such a label, perhaps the agent should have used another.

The daughter of a friend came up with this: Lez-beings

Surely everybody knows that the politically correct term is 'women in sensible shoes'?

[Mikesev]

I can find two things wrong in this sentence.

"£650,000 home" - The fact that the mail felt the need to mention the price of the house, or the price itself?

"professional service from their estate agents"

[dog]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...vert-house.html

Are these two ladies implying that the reference to a same sex relationship is an insult? Now I am completely confused. So when Lord Alfred Douglas wrote "Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will, I am the love that dare not speak its name.'" he was actually sending out a warning to straight people.

[Bigtimebear]

At last some grown-up comment on this forum.

[DEATH]

It was probably just some moron minimum wage type that did it for a laugh on a friday afternoon.

As for them selling the story to the mail, you might as well get an extra £20k for the story once

everyone knows anyway. They are moving afterall.

This Daily Mail headline generator is funny if you fancy a 5min laugh:- http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/toys/dailymail/

If you are reading this girls I think you should let me watch a couple of sessions for supporting you!

Actually that was a joke, not my fettish. They are bit on the old side anyway. Will I be sued by them for calling them old?

[Elizabeth]

And I'm sorry for saying this, but that is well funny!!!

So you wouldn't mind someone putting a reference at the bottom of your property ad "total idiot who surruptiously lights his farts"?

"£650,000 home" - The fact that the mail felt the need to mention the price of the house, or the price itself?

"professional service from their estate agents"

The price is probably 'well funny' at this stage.

[Elizabeth]

Are these two ladies implying that the reference to a same sex relationship is an insult? Now I am completely confused. So when Lord Alfred Douglas wrote "Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will, I am the love that dare not speak its name.'" he was actually sending out a warning to straight people.

The offence is not in the status, it is in the singling out for special and probing attention in a way that encourages ridicule by idiots who light their own farts. To add to this the fact that they were asking for a professional relationship ie. one that understood that the very act of selling a home is a sensitive and tricky one in relation to personal privacy and that that is respected it as far as possible. For example a description might say 'ideal family home' but it is unlikely that the estate agent would refer to the 'pretty little girl playing on her own in the backyard'.

Edit to add critical missing words!

[Guest anorthosite]

There's no shame in homosexuality any more, thankfully. Although I can think of no good reasons to think why the EA would put that in the description, does the offence caused really amount to £5,000?

Its from an estate agent, so yes

[OscillatingWildly]

I sympathise entirely with them. It must be terrible to be "outed" as a Daily Mail reader...

BD

[Moo]

The offence is not in the status, it is in the singling out for special and probing attention in a way that encourages ridicule by idiots who light their own farts. To add to this the fact that they were asking for a professional relationship ie. one that understood that the very act of selling a home is a sensitive and tricky one in relation to personal privacy and that that is respected it as far as possible. For example a description might say 'ideal family home' but it is unlikely that the estate agent would refer to the 'pretty little girl playing on her own in the backyard'.

Whilst that's entirely true, the impact is somewhat diluted by the fact they went to a national newspaper with the story, thereby going from a position where a few Rightmove users have seen the word "lesbians" attached to a property, to one where possibly hundreds of thousands of people have seen the words "lesbians" attached to a sizeable photo of them. I strikes me that they've decided to milk this for all it's worth, and have therefore forgone the right to sypmathy. It's one thing confiding in your nearest and dearest about such things, seeking damages as redress, and not telling a soul - that shows genuine hurt - but to go to a national newspaper which not only shows full names, but a large colour photograph shows that "distress" clearly wasn't an issue.

Okay, having said that, I do believe they were fully justifiied in their claim against the estate agent. It's a business contract, a degree of propriety and discretion is required, and it clearly wasn't shown. My sole problem is what they've actually done is akin to my missus posting pictures of my genitals on the internet without my prior knowlege, then me doing "Nelly the Elephant*" whilst trying to illicit sympathy from total strangers regarding this.

* If you don't know, ask.

[Sheer Heart Attack]

My best mate is gay (we've been buddies since being 5 years old), so I am not "homophobic" - that neologism pisses me off.

However, if an estate agent advertised a house as being inhabited by a family, could the EA be sued for alerting peadophiles to the presence of children?

There's no shame in homosexuality any more, thankfully. Although I can think of no good reasons to think why the EA would put that in the description, does the offence caused really amount to £5,000?

[Moo]

There's no shame in homosexuality any more, thankfully. Although I can think of no good reasons to think why the EA would put that in the description, does the offence caused really amount to £5,000?

It warrants that. They'll now have to go and find another agent, go through a load of hassle, and may attract a degree of unwanted attention from the "hur, hur, hur, lezzers" brigade, which is clearly what they didn't want...

...except they went to a national newspaper with the story. Pair of twats. Pun intended.

[ScaredEitherWay]

The company, which has more than 50 branches, has also said that staff will be given diversity training

So what's that then? Anybody ever been on any?

What happens? They're still lesbians after the course. Perhaps they learn not to write it down.

[Bigtimebear]

I'm astonished. Elzabeth is the only voice of tolerance on a website forum riddled with backward bigots. :angry:

[dredwerker]

It was probably just some moron minimum wage type that did it for a laugh on a friday afternoon.

As for them selling the story to the mail, you might as well get an extra £20k for the story once

everyone knows anyway. They are moving afterall.

This Daily Mail headline generator is funny if you fancy a 5min laugh:- http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/toys/dailymail/

That daily mail generator is fun for 30 secs. I got this

WILL GORDON BROWN DESTROY HOMEOWNERS?

WILL THE E.U. ROB HOMEOWNERS BLIND?

and this after a few tries

DOES THE BBC DEFRAUD HOUSE PRICES?

[Bigtimebear]

Only just noticed because only just joined................

[dredwerker]

The Daily Mail also treated them with respect and it was their decision whereas the Estate Agent (as one would expect of EAs generally) simply took it upon the world to advertise that there were Lesbians

Although its nice to see have some more pleasant people on the board. IMHO Elizabeth's point is a tad naive. The lesbians(gay couple) etc.. went for the jugular once the EA had advertised it and therefore were happy enough to be lesbian in the mainstream press. It was obviously wrong and they should have got money from the EA - they lost my sympathy when they went the daily mail.

[Elizabeth]

As for them selling the story to the mail, you might as well get an extra £20k for the story once

everyone knows anyway. They are moving afterall.

Good. they deserve it.

Whilst that's entirely true, the impact is somewhat diluted by the fact they went to a national newspaper with the story, thereby going from a position where a few Rightmove users have seen the word "lesbians" attached to a property, to one where possibly hundreds of thousands of people have seen the words "lesbians" attached to a sizeable photo of them. I strikes me that they've decided to milk this for all it's worth, and have therefore forgone the right to sypmathy. It's one thing confiding in your nearest and dearest about such things, seeking damages as redress, and not telling a soul - that shows genuine hurt - but to go to a national newspaper which not only shows full names, but a large colour photograph shows that "distress" clearly wasn't an issue.

Okay, having said that, I do believe they were fully justifiied in their claim against the estate agent. It's a business contract, a degree of propriety and discretion is required, and it clearly wasn't shown. My sole problem is what they've actually done is akin to my missus posting pictures of my genitals on the internet without my prior knowlege, then me doing "Nelly the Elephant*" whilst trying to illicit sympathy from total strangers regarding this.

* If you don't know, ask.

Are you suggesting they conspired with the idiot in the office? Otherwise the analogy is ridiculous. If your wife had gross tasteless humour of that sort would you have married her? - and if so, caveat emptor. However these women did not marry the estate agent or the shitty little underling who did this. They simple asked them to sell their house.

The Daily Mail also treated them with respect and it was their decision whereas the Estate Agent (as one would expect of EAs generally) simply took it upon the world to advertise that there were Lesbians, ie. to a very small homophobic minority, someone to harrass, living in X house - why not go around and have a look... and accidently knock some precious items off the shelf on the way round? You obviously don't remember when violence against homosexuals was pretty much promoted in school playgrounds. It is pretty clear they don't mind people knowing they are lesbians, just they would prefer that the information didn't contain a picture of their house, or the provision of the information in a surrupticious way with the implication that it was a nasty little secret (giggle giggle)... as demonstrated by your next post...

So what's that then? Anybody ever been on any?

What happens? They're still lesbians after the course. Perhaps they learn not to write it down.

Diversity training yes. It won't do a thing for their inner beauty.

Who are lesbians? The guys doing the diversity training? Unlikely. And its also unlikely that they would write down that they were. Fart lighting idiots.

The ladies in question won't have gone on diversity training but will probably remain lesbians.

[Qetesuesi]

At last some grown-up comment on this forum.

Would that be Elizabeth's repeated reference to lighting farts?

[ae589]

I'm astonished. Elzabeth is the only voice of tolerance on a website forum riddled with backward bigots. :angry:

I'm amazed you just noticed.

Now we know under what circumstances HPC's will defend an estage agent, paid by their client, making a public joke at their client's expense. I can guess a few others.

Bravo Elizabeth.