In the midst of a legal fight for the name of a historic, Black-owned business — Mercury — a cab owner filed a $500,000 lawsuit accusing the city of Chattanooga and a police officer of negligence, intentional misconduct and selective enforcement of municipal code, among other claims.
The complaint said that Antonio Boston repeatedly brought proof to city regulators that rival cab owner Tenesica Bolding had an operating permit from the city despite multiple alleged violations of the municipal code, and the defendants failed to act while enforcing the rules against others, the complaint said.
Boston and Bolding have each filed suits against the other.
The city requested dismissal of Boston’s lawsuit against Chattanooga, arguing the defendants were immune to many of Boston’s claims. Among other defenses, the city said in a court response that the lawsuit was filed too late, made similar complaints with another action already pending in court and failed to appeal with the city’s regulatory board in a timely manner.
The lawsuit, filed Feb. 6, survived the city’s dismissal request after a hearing before Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Peck. While disappointed in the ruling, Assistant City Attorney Andrew Trundle said the team remains confident in the city’s arguments.