03:37 AM EST, 12/06/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Update with a response from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the last paragraph.)

Rocket Companies ( RKT ) subsidiary Rocket Mortgage said Thursday it has countersued the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to remove a case against it over allegedly discriminatory housing appraisals.

The company also filed a motion to dismiss a claim against it by the US Department of Justice over the same matter.

The company accused the government of suing Rocket Mortgage on Oct. 21 for what it described as the "conduct of an independent appraiser."

"The accusation of discrimination is against the independent appraiser who performed the appraisal, not Rocket Mortgage," the company said.

Rocket Mortgage said it is asking the court to declare that the law prohibits Rocket Mortgage from attempting to influence the independent judgment of an appraiser and affirm that it does not have control or legal responsibility over the actions of an independent appraiser.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a message to MT Newswires that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.