City Of Fort Lauderdale Accused Of Race-Based Selective Code Enforcement Against Homeowners

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the South Florida Times reports:

• A controversial program that fines and forecloses on unkempt properties in poor, predominantly black neighborhoods continues to draw fire from the homeowners and their attorneys. A lawsuit filed earlier this month alleged that the city violated the constitutional right of a property owner to due process under the law.

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• City officials have said in published reports that they are simply enforcing laws designed to improve the appearance of neighborhoods in the city. [...] Legal Aid [Service of Broward County, Inc.] and the plaintiffs in the latest lawsuit, [...] , say the city unfairly targets black homeowners. The suit argued that the city’s foreclosures for unpaid code-enforcement fines are really an effort to remove people from their homes and make way for redevelopment.

For more, see Legal Aid challenges foreclosures. race bias predatory lending