A Black real estate investor is suing Marin County, California, and its chief building official, claiming he was subjected to unfair permitting hurdles because of his race. Dietrick Burks, an entrepreneur who sells floating homes, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this week alleging county officials imposed unlawful requirements that stalled his projects.
“This is a place I wanted to retire. I was very excited about being here in Marin County. I don’t have that excitement anymore,” Burks said, according to ABC News.
Burks said his first floating home sale in 2019 went smoothly when he had a white business partner. But according to the lawsuit, problems began after the community learned Burks was Black and he pursued subsequent projects on his own…