A doctor in Los Angeles has filed suit against the city, saying they violated his constitutional property rights by refusing his repeated requests to clear away an illegal homeless encampments at his business before a large fire nearly destroyed his business in early 2023.
Dr. Ken Wright claims homeless people began trespassing on his business property on San Vicente Boulevard in early 2022, according to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
"A tent city was erected at/on Dr. Wright's medical practice, which posed a significant health and safety risk to Dr. Wright, his staff, patients and the general public," the lawsuit says. "Both the building planters and the parking lot were used as bathrooms."
A fire broke out in the encampment in February and severely damaged the medical building, the suit states. The city finally removed the encampment in May 2023, at the direction of Mayor Karen Bass, but only after the encampment and conditions on Wright's property generated significant media attention and public criticism over the lack of action to protect private property rights, according to the suit.
Wright seeks unspecified money damages and attorney fees for the city's inaction in clearing the encampment.
"The city's conduct in failing to act was intentional, and unreasonable, negligent and reckless," the suit states.
Wright is representing himself in the lawsuit.
Wright v. City of Los Angeles, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 2:23-cv-09833.