Newspaper Article

Farmers Branch Must Pay $470,000 in Fees
Associated Press
April 8, 2009

Attempts to oust illegal immigrants from the city have cost Farmers Branch more than $2 million in legal fees so far, including nearly half a million dollars for attorneys of those who challenged the Dallas suburb's ordinance.

The Farmers Branch City Council agreed to pay $250,00 to apartment operators and $220,000 to advocacy organizations who sued over an ordinance requiring landlords to verify all tenants were U.S. citizens or legal immigrants, The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday.

Farmers Branch had accumulated expenses of about $1.7 million for legal matters related to illegal immigration, including the rental ordinances it has never been able to enforce, before the nearly half million dollars for the opponents' attorney fees, according to city documents.

A federal judge ordered Farmers Branch to pay the attorneys fees of the ordinance's challengers after the city rule was found to be unconstitutional. The judge also asked all parties to mediate a settlement on the costs.

The settlement ends legal matters involving that version of the rental ordinance, said Barry Pound, a spokesman for the attorneys representing the city. However, Farmers Branch faces additional lawsuits over a new version of the rental ban.

"Litigation is an expensive proposition, as this settlement shows," Terri Burke, executive director of the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement. "Farmers Branch city officials seem intent on wasting more taxpayer money with their continued illegal attempts to discriminate against residents who rent instead of own homes."

Mayor Tim O'Hare, who led efforts to draft the ordinances, did not return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press.

"The parties are pleased that this dispute has been resolved and have agreed to make no further statements regarding this settlement," Farmers Branch officials said in a statement issued after the meeting ended late Tuesday.

Attorneys for the Villas at Parkside Partners has asked for $480,000 in attorney fees and litigation expenses. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund had requested $446,406 in attorney fees and costs. Attorneys representing the city contested the requests, saying the fees were excessive.