Nationwide Recovery, Inc. v. City of Detroit

336 F. Supp. 3d 790
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedAugust 21, 2018
DocketCase No. 17-cv-12378
StatusPublished

This text of 336 F. Supp. 3d 790 (Nationwide Recovery, Inc. v. City of Detroit) 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
Nationwide Recovery, Inc. v. City of Detroit, 336 F. Supp. 3d 790 (E.D. Mich. 2018).

Opinion

LINDA V. PARKER, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE

Plaintiff Nationwide Recovery, Inc. ("Nationwide Recovery") initiated a single count § 1983 complaint on July 24, 2017. (ECF No. 1.) This lawsuit arises from the suspension of Nationwide Recovery's towing permit and removal from the police authorized towing list without a pre-deprivation hearing. (Id. ) Presently before the Court is Nationwide Recovery's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, filed October 4, 2017. (ECF No. 24.) Defendant the City of Detroit filed a response and cross-motion for summary judgment on October 25, 2017. (ECF No. 41.) Finding the legal arguments in the brief sufficient, the Court is dispensing with oral arguments pursuant to L.R. 7.1(f)(2). For the reasons stated below, the Court grants Plaintiffs' motion for partial summary judgment, denies Defendants' cross-motion for partial summary judgment, and denies, as moot, Plaintiffs' motion to strike Argument V of Defendant's motion to dismiss.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

Nationwide Recovery is a towing service and operates a motor vehicle storage yard in Detroit, MI. (ECF No. 13.) Beginning in 2010, the City began issuing towing permits to qualified towing companies to conduct police authorized tows. (ECF No. 13 at Pg ID 152.) The Detroit City Code § 55-2-82(a) provides:

The Board of Police Commissioners shall establish standards, including insurance and bonding requirements, that must be met in order for a tower to qualify for police authorized tows, under this chapter, and the Police Department shall maintain a current list of such qualified towers.... In accordance with Section 2-111 of the Charter, the Board of Police Commissioners shall promulgate administrative rules for the Body's determination as to which towers shall be called for tows under this chapter. Such rules shall provide, as nearly as practicable, for equitable distribution of police authorized towing to all towers on the list of qualified towers.

According to Nationwide Recovery, the Board of Police Commissioners ("BPC"), Chief of Police, and then-mayor published "Police Towing Rules" in the Detroit Legal News on December 21, 2010. (ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 453.) The City prepared the towing application and checklist. (Id. ) Detroit Police Officer Kenyatta Myers, who *794was responsible for administering the police authorized tows, used the checklist to determine eligibility for the towers. (Id. ) After vetting the applicants, Officer Meyers consulted with the City's Finance Department, who, then, collected any administrative fees from the approved towers. (Id. ) Thereafter, Officer Meyers compiled a complete list of eligible police authorized towers and forwarded the list to the BPC. (Id. ) Those on the authorized towing list received a towing permit that was valid for a period of five years. (Id. at Pg ID 454.) The permit was renewable every five years. (Id. ) In 2011, the Deputy Police Chief executed the permits, and in 2016, Officer Meyers and the Chair of the BPC executed the permits. (Id. ) The tow rate commission set the tow rate, which the City adopted and issued a resolution to the same. (Id. at Pg ID 455.) The tow rate included an administrative fee that went directly to the City's Finance Department, a towing fee, and a daily storage fee. (ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 455; ECF No. 24-16 at Pg ID 670.) The City's Finance Director issued the most recent rate on May 28, 2013. (ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 455; ECF No. 24-11 at Pg ID 603.)

In 2011, Nationwide Recovery became a holder of Detroit Police Department ("DPD") Tow Permit # 11-042, which was effective until May 2016. In May 2016, Nationwide Recovery renewed its permit and became the holder of Detroit Police Department Tow Permit # 16-047, which had an expiration date of May 31, 2021. (ECF No. 13 at Pg ID 153-54; ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 254.) On July 19, 2017, without notice or hearing, officers from the Detroit Police Department took possession of Nationwide Recovery's towing permit and, subsequently, removed its name from the towing list. (ECF No. 13 at Pg ID 155.) Although Nationwide Recovery, through its counsel, asked the City to provide a written notice detailing the suspension, the City never responded. (ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 456; ECF No. 24-2 at Pg ID 501.) According to Nationwide Recovery, BPC's towing rules recognize a property interest in holding a permit and being on the towing list, and, therefore, Nationwide Recovery was entitled to a pre-deprivation hearing prior to its towing suspension, termination, and revocation. (ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 456.) The towing rules provide as follows:

The City reserves the right to terminate any towing permit with a tow company in the event of a breach of the towing permit or any provision of the towing permit or of these Rules provided, however, that the permit holder shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing before the Board of Commissioners or the Board's designee prior to the effective date of any such termination.
The City may immediately terminate any towing permit with a tow company for fraud or criminal conduct by the tow company or its employees, provided however, that as soon as practicable the permit holder shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing before the Board of Commissioners or the Board's designee following which hearing the Board shall either affirm or rescind the termination.

(ECF No. 41-9 at Pg ID 1552.) On July 24, 2017, Nationwide Recovery initiated this lawsuit. (ECF No. 1.)

On August 9, 2017, the City's Corporation Counsel issued a memorandum to the Chief of Police that declared all towing permits, including that of Nationwide Recovery, "null and void ab initio, and no tow company had or has any property right or interest in any purported permit." (ECF No. 24 at Pg ID 451; ECF No. 24-3.) The memorandum further stated that the BPC did not have authority to select, approve, or issue any company towing permits. (ECF No. 24-3 at Pg ID 503.)

*795On August 14, 2017, the City filed a Counterclaim, as well as a Third-Party Complaint against Jerry Parker, Hussein M. Hussein, and Louay M. Hussein, all of whom are Nationwide Recovery officers and/or owners. (ECF No. 5.) In the City's Counterclaim and Third-Party Complaint, the City alleged, among other things, that Nationwide Recovery conspired to commit fraud and auto theft.

On September 5, 2017, Nationwide Recovery filed an Amended Complaint, adding a First Amendment retaliation claim. (ECF No. 13.) After twice amending its Counterclaim and Third-Party Complaint, on October 16, 2017, the City voluntarily withdrew its Counterclaim and Third-Party Complaint. (ECF Nos. 14, 18, & 27.)

On December 6, 2017, this Court granted Nationwide Recovery's request to amend its Complaint a second time to add additional parties and claims. (ECF Nos. 32 & 57.) On December 29, 2017, Nationwide Recovery filed its Second Amended Complaint, adding (1) Jerry Parker, (2) Hussein M. Hussein, (3) Louay M. Hussein, (4) Annie Hussein, (5) Julia Hussein, and (6) Carol Hendon as Plaintiffs; (1) Charles N. Raimi, (2) Ronald G. Acho, and (3) Cummings, McClorey, Davis, & Acho, P.C. as Defendants; and claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress, tortious interference with business expectancy and relationship, conspiracy to violate constitutional rights, and loss of consortium. (ECF No.

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Bluebook (online)
336 F. Supp. 3d 790, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nationwide-recovery-inc-v-city-of-detroit-mied-2018.