Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Takings Clause
Plaintiff filed a lawsuit challenging a Chicago ordinance that requires anyone who obtains a rental property through foreclosure to negotiate new leases with existing tenants in good faith. If a tenant declines to renew a lease, the ordinance requires that the landlord pay the tenant to assist with relocation expenses. Plaintiff contended that this amounts to an unconstitutional taking. The district court disagreed and affirmed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that it could not find an unconstitutional condition where plaintiff did not make any effort to show that the relocation assistance fee was disproportional to the impact on the city’s interest in keeping its residents housed. (ST. EVE and JACKSON-AKIWUMI, concurring)