Opinion ID: 1772583
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Trial Court's Decree

Text: The trial court issued a 17-page opinion containing detailed findings of fact. Much of the opinion deals with the city's use of the inspectors' reports. Several reports contained qualifying remarks about the conditions of the buildings. The building inspector and the housing inspector referred to the substandard conditions on Block 60 as minor problems necessitating only minor repairs. The electrical inspector categorized the items on his list as minor or easily repaired. He concluded that Block 60 was in pretty good shape as far as its electrical work is concerned. The inspector from the Fire Department stated that none of the conditions he found were eminent fire hazards. The data from the reports were incorporated into the resolution without including any of the qualifying remarks contained in those reports. The trial court found: From a comparison of the testimony given by the various inspectors and the qualifying remarks which accompanied their reports to the staff of the Community Development Department with the data in the form in which it appeared in Resolution 1119-81, the only inference the court can draw is that the staff intentionally misled the City Council as to the conditions actually existing on Block 60. Based on the findings set out in the decree, the court ordered: (1) that the city lacked the power under Chapter 2 to condemn Block 60 because Chapter 2 of Title 24 pertains to housing and residential neighborhoods, not business districts; (2) that the actions of the City Council in adopting the resolution were arbitrary and capricious; and (3) that the city was liable to Tutwiler for damages in the amount of $40,000.00 based on its claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. In separate orders the court awarded the plaintiff attorney's fees in the amount of $105,798.50 under 42 U.S.C. § 1988 and ordered the city and its attorney to pay Tutwiler $7,175.00 in attorney's fees based on a motion for sanctions.