LATHFIELD INVESTMENTS, LLC; LATHFIELD HOLDINGS, LLC; LATHFIELD PARTNERS, LLC v. CITY OF LATHRUP VILLAGE; LATHRUP VILLAGE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY - Articles

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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 28, 2025

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ON BRIEF: Aaron D. Cox, LAW OFFICES OF AARON D. COX, PLLC, Taylor, Michigan, for Appellants.

Attorneys 2: ON BRIEF: Christian C. Huffman, GARAN LUCOW MILLER, P.C., Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee.

Judge(s): GIBBONS, WHITE, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Flint

JULIA SMITH GIBBONS, Circuit Judge. Plaintiff-Appellants Lathfield Investments, LLC; Lathfield Holdings, LLC; and Lathfield Partners, LLC (collectively, “Lathfield”) own three commercial buildings (the “Property”), located in the City of Lathrup Village, Michigan, that are rented to various commercial tenants. Defendant-Appellees’—City of Lathrup Village (the “Village”) and the Village’s Downtown Development Authority (the “DDA”) (collectively, the “City”)—Code of Ordinances (the “City Code”) requires that all landlords apply for a landlord rental license before renting any units to commercial tenants. The City Code also requires all landlords renting to commercial tenants to list each tenant’s name and principal business. In July 2020, Lathfield sought to comply with the City Code and applied for a landlord rental license. In its application, Lathfield did not list the names and the principal businesses of its tenants, as required under Chapter 18, Article II, § 18-33(a) of the City Code. For this reason, the City denied Lathfield’s application for a landlord rental license. Because Lathfield did not have a landlord rental license, the City also denied the Lathfield tenants’ general business license applications. Lathfield sued, among other parties, the Village and the DDA, a local governmental body that assists in the Village’s commercial development. Broadly, Lathfield argued that the City engaged in a concerted effort to unlawfully compel it to apply for unnecessary licenses and to make unnecessary improvements to the Property. Lathfield brought eleven claims, nine of which are against the City, seeking monetary damages and various forms of relief that would allow it to continue leasing space at the Property despite its failure to obtain a landlord rental license. We affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment to the City with respect to all nine claims whose dismissal Lathfield now appeals.