Challenge to City of Yuma's Warrantless Searches of Rental Homes
Stanphill v. City of Yuma

Outraged: Patricia Stanphill, left, owner of A Shady Tree RV Park and Apartments, and Amber Leach, a tenant who refused to allow a warrantless search of her home.

Under an ordinance adopted in 2002, the City of Yuma, Ariz., tried to force landlords to open their rental property without obtaining consent from or even providing notice to tenants.  Outraged by the City’s disregard for their rights, two tenants and their landlord joined with the Institute for Justice Arizona Chapter and filed suit in Yuma County Superior Court seeking to restore their constitutional rights.

In response to the lawsuit and public advocacy from the IJ Arizona Chapter, the City of Yuma quickly announced in a letter that it had suspended the warrantless inspections and agreed to amend its ordinance to require search warrants for city inspectors to enter tenants’ homes.