Detroit City Council has tapped the brakes on a legal settlement that could force a local landlord to fix roughly 299 rental homes and clear a mountain of unpaid fees, but only if councilmembers are convinced they know how many families are actually living in those properties. The proposal, hammered out by the city’s Law Department, ties repairs to a multi-year abatement schedule and keeps the threat of court enforcement on the table if the work stalls out.
What the settlement would require
Under the draft agreement, Munoz Realty and owner Gaston Munoz would have to bring properties into compliance at a pace of about 10 homes a month and finish the roughly 299-home portfolio by Nov. 30, 2028, according to BridgeDetroit. For each unit that passes reinspection, the city would cut outstanding blight tickets in half. What the deal would not touch are water bills, reinspection costs, permit fees or back taxes, which would all still be owed in full. The settlement also requires Munoz to work with BSEED, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and Wayne County to confirm what is owed and start abatement work.
City's enforcement push
The proposed deal slots into a broader crackdown by Mayor Mary Sheffield's administration that leans on court-monitored consent agreements and liens to force repairs and collect unpaid fines, as laid out in April. The administration says it has been coordinating BSEED, the Law Department and the Health Department to flag high-risk properties and lock in enforceable repair timelines. Officials argue that these court-backed consent agreements can move landlords toward compliance faster than a stack of repeat tickets, according to a City of Detroit announcement.
Landlord's record and neighborhood impact
Advocates and earlier reporting say Munoz manages hundreds of rentals and has logged years of blight complaints and enforcement actions, which helps explain why the council is treating any settlement with caution. An Outlier Media investigation and related city records tied Munoz-linked companies to numerous blight tickets and raised doubts about how effectively the city’s rental ordinance has been enforced across large landlord portfolios. Tenants who addressed council described slow or incomplete repairs and lingering health and safety issues inside some of the homes.
Council reaction and legal stakes
Council President James Tate signaled he will not rubber-stamp another settlement without knowing how many families are directly affected, stressing that this is not just about land or neighborhoods but the people living in those houses. District 5 Councilmember Renata Miller went further, calling the proposal "too sweet of a deal for a slumlord like this." The Law Department has already recorded notices in the property records of about 120 Munoz-owned homes to flag ongoing litigation and says it expects more filings for the rest of the portfolio. If Munoz fails to comply, officials said the city could move in Wayne County court for a default judgment or other remedies. City attorneys also underscored that outstanding balances with DWSD, Treasury and BSEED all remain on the hook, telling council, "we are not giving him a break on those balances," as reported by BridgeDetroit.
What comes next
Council delayed a final vote until next week while the Law Department and BSEED pull together clearer numbers on occupancy and debt across the entire portfolio, leaving the settlement in limbo while the city figures out exactly who would be covered. If the council signs off, staff plan to assign a BSEED project manager who would meet monthly with Munoz and require regular updates on abatement progress. If the work lags or falls short, the city says it will head back to court to seek enforcement or other equitable remedies. In the meantime, tenants worried about conditions can still request inspections from BSEED, and the administration says its coordinated enforcement push with other departments will continue, according to the City of Detroit.
