Keeping The Pressure On City Hall

It’s been more than two years since the city of Pasadena, Texas, agreed to allow our client, Azael “Oz” Sepulveda, to open his one-man auto shop. But the city hasn’t kept its word and is now deploying delay tactics to evade Oz’s legal fight. We’re keeping the pressure on.

IJ first sued in December 2021, after the city told Oz he couldn’t open until he added 23 parking spaces he did not need and could not afford—and which would not physically fit on the property. We won a temporary injunction and, in April 2022, reached a binding agreement with the city allowing Oz to open with just a handful of parking spaces.

But the city went back on its word and still refuses to let Oz open. In response, we filed a second lawsuit seeking to enforce the settlement agreement in September 2023. Rather than face the music, the city claimed it was immune—an argument the district court rejected while deeming the city’s actions “bad public policy.”

Pasadena’s latest delay tactic is appealing that ruling, which halts the trial-court proceedings. In response, IJ launched a series of video ads showing how the city has wasted time and taxpayer money fighting against a settlement it agreed to. The ads have been seen by more than half of the city’s residents, and two city councilmembers admitted publicly the city’s attorney has kept them in the dark about the lawsuit.

The wheels of justice may sometimes turn slowly, but IJ will do whatever it takes to keep them moving and to ensure that our clients’ rights are protected.