Garrett v. City of Hamtramck

394 F. Supp. 1151, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12249
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedMay 21, 1975
DocketCiv. A. 32004
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 394 F. Supp. 1151 (Garrett v. City of Hamtramck) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garrett v. City of Hamtramck, 394 F. Supp. 1151, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12249 (E.D. Mich. 1975).

Opinion

AMENDED ORDER

KEITH, District Judge.

INTRODUCTION

This Court heard arguments on April 22, 1975 on the plaintiffs’ Motion for Entry of an Amended Order. This motion was prompted by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s decision of September 26, 1974 remanding this matter to this Court for further proceedings. 503 F.2d 1236.

This case has been before this Court since November 20, 1968. Since that time, nothing has happened to provide the plaintiffs with the relief they seek and justly deserve. This Court notes the Court of Appeals decision:

A number of findings of fact are included in the court’s orders and an examination of the record indicates that the underlying findings are supported by substantial evidence. The court could properly find that the Negro population of Hamtramck fell from 14.4 percent to 8.5 percent between 1960 and 1966 and that this resulted largely from implementation of the “planned program of population loss” adopted as part of the master plan of the Vilican-Lehman Report. The record also supports the finding that the private housing market of Hamtramck was operated in a discriminatory fashion and that city officials were aware of this. There is also considereable evidence of racism and prejudice against Negroes on the part of various city officials. All Negroes living in the original Wyandotte Project area were displaced by the first urban renewal actions there, and it is clear that they received little or no relocation assistance. We also conclude that the record supports the court’s finding in its order of March 30, 1973 that the City of Hamtramck has intentionally discriminated against Negro residents in violation of their constitutional and statutory rights.
The relationship of HUD to this intentional discrimination presents a more difficult question. However, it is clear that various HUD officials were made aware of the disproportionate impact of Hamtramek’s urban renewal programs on the Negro element of its population. Furthermore, HUD was advised of the non-existence of active relocation programs for persons displaced by urban renewal. The record supports a finding that HUD must have known of the discriminatory practices which pervaded the private housing market and the indications of overt prejudice among some of the persons involved in carrying out the urban renewal projects of the City. Since we have held that this action is not concerned with the completed projects or code enforcement, we have no hesitation in holding that HUD should be held responsible for the legal implementation of the ongoing Wyandotte Project and any future urban renewal projects of Hamtramck which it approves. This is especially true in view of the detailed administrative complaint which was concerned specifically with implementation of the amended Wyandotte Project. 503 F.2d at 1246. (Emphasis added).

The Court concluded:

Although it is necessary to remand for further proceedings, we note the extreme complexity of this case and that the district court correctly resolved the basic issues presented herein. 503 F.2d at 1250. (Emphasis added).

This lengthy quotation from the Court of Appeals decision is necessary because of the defendants’ response to that decision. Both classes of defend *1153 ants, municipal and federal, approached the Appeals Court’s remand of this action as if it signaled the need to relitigate the entire matter. The municipal defendants, particularly, took this approach. Their entire argument concentrated on whether this Court even had jurisdiction over them, and introduced the additional specious argument that present officials of Hamtramck could not be joined to this suit absent a showing that they have discriminated against the plaintiffs. Mayor of City of Philadelphia v. Educational Equality League, 415 U.S. 605, 94 S.Ct. 1323, 39 L.Ed. 2d 630 (1974).

This Court has no intentions to have this matter relitigated. As the Court of Appeals noted, the basic issues in the case have been correctly determined. Additionally, the discrimination by the defendants has been documented here and affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The joinder of the present municipal officials is necessary, if at all, only to implement this Court’s Order. The municipal defendants’ argument that present discrimination must be proved against these persons is wholly without merit, and is part of a pattern of delay and obfuscation which has marked the proceedings herein over the life of this litigation. To accept the defendants argument would ignore the discrimination proved by the plaintiffs. Presumably, if the present officials are shown not to be discriminating, then the plaintiffs would be entitled to no relief. Such an argument is almost scandalous.

Likewise, the municipal defendants preoccupation with the so-called grave jurisdictional problems of this action is misplaced. The substance of the Court of Appeals holding on jurisdiction is found in one sentence:

In its further consideration of this case the district court should determine the basis of its jurisdiction over each of the defendants and whether all of the defendants necessary for implementation of its decree are before the court. »503 F.2d at 1249.

This order by the Court of Appeals was not meant to suggest that jurisdiction was lacking over any of the defendants, but rather was a request for clarification of this Court’s jurisdiction, in light of the various jurisdictional basis alleged. The Court of Appeals never suggested that jurisdiction was a problem, as the municipal defendants seem to have concluded.

The Court of Appeals held that this Court had properly found United States Constitutional and statutory violations by all of the defendants. This supports “federal question” jurisdiction over all of the defendants under 28 U.S.C. § 1331. The only question is whether the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000, exclusive of costs and interests.

This Court holds that the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000, whether viewed from the defendants’ viewpoint, Gautreaux v. Romney, 448 F.2d 731 (7th Cir. 1971), Government Employees Ins. Co. v. Lally, 327 F.2d 568 (4th Cir. 1964), or from the plaintiffs’ viewpoint, Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co. v. Railway Express Agency, 253 F.2d 780 (6th Cir. 1958).

An additional major area of disagreement between the parties centers on how the survey of displacees should record responses. The defendants argue for a limited interpretation of responses designed to obtain a definite “yes” or “no” count. The plaintiffs argue for a more flexible approach which measures the leanings of the displacees.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Baker v. City of Detroit
458 F. Supp. 374 (E.D. Michigan, 1978)
Oakwood at Madison, Inc. v. Township of Madison
371 A.2d 1192 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1977)
Knoxville Progressive Christian Coalition v. Testerman
404 F. Supp. 783 (E.D. Tennessee, 1975)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
394 F. Supp. 1151, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garrett-v-city-of-hamtramck-mied-1975.