Detroit 'Castle' owners sue city claiming harassment while trying to fix properties

Owners of Detroit 'Castle' sue city, claiming harassment

Charles Brooks and his wife own the "Detroit Castle" as it’s called, a massive complex on the city’s east side that they’ve worked on for years. He rehabs blighted properties block by block and says the City of Detroit and Land Bank Authority have defamed him by picking apart his work.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The owners of what’s become known as a "castle-like house" in Detroit have filed a lawsuit against the City of Detroit, the Land Bank Authority and several current and former city officials claiming harassment while trying to fix up the city and several blighted properties.

Big picture view:

This lawsuit is only the continuation of a long-running squabble between the Brooks family, the Land Bank and the City of Detroit.

Charles Brooks and his wife own the "Detroit Castle" as it’s called, a massive complex on the city’s east side that they’ve worked on for years. He rehabs blighted properties block by block and says the City of Detroit and Land Bank Authority have defamed him by picking apart his work.

"We’re actually rebuilding it, but they are doing the opposite, and it’s terrible what they’ve done to me," Brooks said. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy."

A spokesperson for the City of Detroit says, according to Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett, the City does not comment on pending litigation.

Brooks says he wants an end to what he calls harassment, which stems in part from a lawsuit the Land Bank once pursued against Brooks over his property.

"It’s not only abuse of power, but it’s a miscarriage of justice, and it’s so much that they’ve done, and they just won’t stop," he said.

Dig deeper:

The Land Bank tells FOX 2 it does not comment on pending or active litigation. We went to Marko Law for an impartial and unaffiliated look at the case.

"There’s something called slander, which is a verbal statement that’s false that harms one’s reputation, and then there’s something called defamation, which is a written or libel, which is a written statement that’s false that damage of somebody’s reputation," said Attorney John Eads. "I think that those particular claims are really where the teeth are they difficult to prove."

FOX 2 did reach out to the City and Land Bank for comment, but they declined due to the pending litigation.