PASADENA, Texas—Yesterday, the owner of Oz Mechanics filed a motion to enforce an agreement reached between him and the city of Pasadena last year. The agreement, signed in April 2022, permitted Azael Sepulveda to open his new location on Shaver Street, following a legal battle over the city’s mandatory parking minimum law. But since that time, city officials have dragged their feet on allowing him to open his new shop. 

“It’s been frustrating to wait all these months to open my business when the city has agreed to allow me to do so,” said Azael. “I just want to put this legal battle behind me and start doing what I love: fixing people’s vehicles.”  

In December 2021, Azael, represented by the Institute for Justice (IJ), filed a lawsuit challenging Pasadena’s mandatory parking minimum requirement, which would have forced Azael to have 28 parking spaces at his new location—more than could physically fit on the property—before he could open. In February 2022, a Harris County judge granted Azael a temporary injunction, allowing him to open his shop while his lawsuit was pending. Then, just a few months later, the city agreed to allow Azael to open. 

“This process has dragged on long enough,” said IJ Attorney Tori Clark. “Azael has done everything the right way. Now it’s time for the city to hold up its end of the agreement and allow Azael to open his shop.”