Appeals Court Nixes Bid To Halt U.S. Eviction Moratorium

A federal appeals court has rejected a bid by groups representing landlords to halt the latest moratorium on residential evictions imposed by President Joe Biden's administration, setting up a US Supreme Court showdown, Jan Wolfe and David Shepardson reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: The moratorium on evictions has sparked a homecourt showdown in the U.S.

In a written order, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied an emergency request by two chapters of the National Association of Realtors to stop the COVID-19 pandemic-related eviction ban set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The moratorium, implemented after a previous one lapsed at the end of July, is due to expire on Oct. 3. Realtor groups in Alabama and Georgia were among those challenging the moratorium.

The appellate court's order sets the stage for the Supreme Court to hear arguments over whether the administration overstepped its authority by issuing the moratorium.

Hours after the order was issued, the realtor groups asked the Supreme Court to issue an emergency order lifting the moratorium, saying in a court filing that "Congress never gave the CDC the staggering amount of power it claims." A CDC spokeswoman declined to comment.

Under heavy political pressure from Biden's fellow Democrats, his administration reversed course on Aug. 3 and issued a slightly narrower eviction moratorium three days after the prior one expired.

Biden initially had said that congressional action was needed to renew the moratorium, but his administration reversed course. The current moratorium covers nearly 92% of U.S. counties, but that could change based on COVID-19 conditions.

WEEKLY FEATURE : PAL READY TO SOAR WITH PANDEMIC