The Brief

The city of Los Angeles is on track to pay out at least $320 million this fiscal year to settle liability claims and lawsuits. That’s after more than $277 million in such payouts last fiscal year — both well over the $87 million city officials budgeted each year for such risks.

To put that into perspective:

• The nearly $600 million in payouts over the last two years is roughly equivalent to all spending by the city on homelessness services last fiscal year — about half of which the city sent to the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), according to city controller spending data.
• And the cost each year is about the same as the financial toll of the recent wildfires to the city of L.A. through Feb. 14. That cost is $282 million, including damage to city structures and equipment, along with additional personnel costs for the fire and police departments, according to the city administrative officer.

Why is the price tag for payouts so high? LAist took a deeper look at some of the highest-cost incidents paid out in the past year.

Housing discrimination

Mei Ling, who was awarded $38 million, addresses media at a briefing downtown in 2017.

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Frederic J. Brown

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AFP via Getty Images

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The single largest liability payment, more than $38 million, settled long-standing discrimination claims by a Los Angeles resident who said she’d been denied affordable housing.

According to court documents, Mei Ling first filed a complaint in 2011. Ling’s claim said she was unable to work and used a wheelchair due to a spinal condition. She said she received a Section 8 housing voucher in 2007, but said in her claim that she’d been denied housing at multiple locations. As a result, she said she had to stay at homeless shelters and transitional housing for nearly three years. Then, in 2009, when she was provided an affordable housing unit, she claimed it was not fully wheelchair accessible.

The U.S. Department of Justice, then under President Barack Obama, brought Ling’s case to federal court in 2017, and a settlement was reached with the city in August 2024.

The Mei Ling v. City of Los Angeles complaint lays out the claims made against the city.

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https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4147597/mei-ling-v-city-of-los-angeles-california/

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LAist was not able to reach Ling or her attorneys for this story, and representatives for the city did not reply to requests for comment. At the time the city agreed to settle the case, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto issued a statement to news outlets denying city officials had violated the law. She also said the outcome was welcome, because the city’s potential liability was much higher.

Some cases leave lasting damage

In an incident report, a police detective driving an unmarked vehicle claimed she did not see Hernandez crossing the street. Boxes for use of a hands-free cellphone and "inattention" are both checked for the detective.

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Courtesy Richard Rohde

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Two years ago, Roger Hernandez was on his motorized wheelchair getting ready to cross Spring Street in downtown L.A. He later told officers that because the "don't walk" sign already was counting down, he decided to wait for the next cycle of the light, according to a redacted traffic crash report made available online at Muckrock.com.

Officers reported that Hernandez told them he was always careful not to rush into the street, making sure he had enough time to get safely through the crosswalk.

After seeing the crossing signal flash back on, he told officers that he checked for traffic and entered the crosswalk. He reported being halfway through the intersection when he saw an oncoming vehicle, later identified as an unmarked police vehicle, that wasn’t slowing down. With no way to move out of its path, Hernandez was struck and thrown to the ground, his wheelchair mangled.

The incident report mentioned above laid out details: A police detective driving the unmarked vehicle failed to yield and claimed she did not see Hernandez. Boxes for use of a hands-free cellphone and "inattention" are both checked for the detective.

Hernandez was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries. According to his attorney, Hernandez lost mobility in the hand he used to operate his wheelchair and do all other daily tasks.

In 2024, Hernandez reached a $15 million settlement with the city, with payments made in April and July of 2024.

City officials and the LAPD did not respond to requests for comment on his case.

Use of force

Payouts to settle claims of excessive force by police officers was another significant factor in the high costs.

According to the city controller’s office, last year more than $50 million in payouts were related to civil rights violations and unlawful use of force by LAPD, the largest share of LAPD’s liability expenses.

One of these high-cost cases paid out more than $23.8 million to Tammy Murillo, the mother of a 32-year-old Navy veteran shot and killed by two LAPD officers on Dec. 23, 2017.

The officers were responding to a radio call for a “battery in progress,” according to a report by the office of former District Attorney Jackie Lacey, when they first saw Jesse Murillo outside his mother’s Canoga Park house wearing a gas mask and holding a hammer and a metal bar.

A photo of the scene is included in the L.A. County district attorney's account of the police killing of Jesse Murillo.

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L.A. County district attorney's office

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According to the D.A.’s account, Murillo “began sprinting toward” one of the officers who was stepping out of his police car, according to the report. The officer yelled for Murillo to stop. Three seconds later, the two officers fired their weapons a total of seven times at Murillo.

The county district attorney’s office concluded that the shooting was legal, citing self-defense and defense of others.

But after a civil trial, a jury found the city of Los Angeles and the two officers liable for excessive force and battery, civil rights violations and negligence.

Decaying infrastructure

Hazardous city infrastructure has also resulted in large payouts. In 2020, a two-pound metal piece of a light pole fell and seriously injured Ismael Soto Luna, 63, according to court documents.

According to Arash Zabetian, his attorney, Soto suffered a traumatic brain injury and now has severe dementia and is not able to care for himself in any way.

Zabetian told LAist that his firm discovered that many light poles near where the incident took place in Van Nuys had the same type of pieces fall to the ground, but the city had taken no action to keep the poles inspected or properly maintained.

A metal cap sits crookedly atop a streetlight pole in Van Nuys, near where a similar piece fell and injured Ismael Soto Luna.

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Photo courtesy of Arash Zabetian

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Zabetian says city departments can prevent incidents like what happened to Soto, and he sees the underlying issue as a culture among city departments where “proactivity is frowned upon.”

“You’re talking about decades and repeated opportunities to avoid [incidents like this].” Zabetian told LAist, “because regardless of these liabilities, Mr. Soto can never talk to his kids again. You see, these are real people’s lives.”

The city paid a total of $21 million to Soto last year — half in May and half in July 2024 — after a superior court jury found the city liable for leaving the streetlight in a dangerous condition. The jury also found that this risk was foreseeable by the city, and the city had enough time to protect against such an incident.

City officials did not reply to requests for comment on these claims.

Is this out of the norm?

The short answer is yes.

We talked to City Controller Kenneth Mejia last week when we first detailed the overall cost and trends. He told us that if current trends continue — decreases in revenue combined with overspending — the city may need to extend a hiring freeze, which could disrupt city services.

Additional notable cases

The following accounts of the city's largest liability payments over the last two fiscal years are based on court and federal documents. 

BD Impotex LLC v. City of Los Angeles — $20,000,000

A settlement was reached between the city and residents of South L.A. after the detonation of illegal fireworks by the LAPD bomb squad. The explosion injured 27 people, including 18 civilians, and caused severe damage to homes and vehicles, according to a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives report, causing some residents to be displaced.

Paula French, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al. — $17,700,000

A district court jury found that the city was liable for use of excessive force by an LAPD officer that caused the death of a mentally disabled man outside of a Costco in Corona and severely injured his parents.

Ruben Martinez et al v. City of Los Angeles et al — $8,000,000

A settlement was reached between the city and Ruben Martinez after prosecutors agreed that Martinez was wrongfully imprisoned for 12 years for five robberies.

Malcolm Thomas v. City of Los Angeles, et al. — $7,885,000

A settlement was reached between the city and Malcolm Thomas after what he claims was discrimination based on disability and retaliation while he served as a police officer and instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.