Supreme Court: Cities can sue banks under fair housing law

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that cities may sue banks for predatory lending practices among minority customers that lead to foreclosures, declines in property taxes and dips in property values.

The justices’ 5-3 ruling Monday validates a novel approach by Miami and other cities to try to hold banks accountable under the federal Fair Housing Act for the wave of foreclosures during the housing crisis a decade ago.

But the court still threw out an appellate ruling in Miami’s favor and ordered a lower court to re-examine the city’s suit against Wells Fargo and Bank of America to be sure there is a direct connection between the lending practices and the city’s losses.