Honolulu retiree celebrates win in lawsuit challenging City’s excessive fines
July 24, 2026
Honolulu, Hawaii; July 24, 2026: A Honolulu retiree can keep her home after a legal victory over the City, which she sued in federal court for imposing excessive fines in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Today, Sandra May formally accepted a settlement reducing the City of Honolulu’s initial fine by 95% and resolving all other claims against her. She then voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit, ending the legal proceedings.
“We are thrilled with this win for Sandra May,” said Loren Seehase, an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented Sandra in her federal court lawsuit free of charge. “Under the Eighth Amendment, fines must be proportionate to the alleged offense, not whatever the government thinks it can get away with demanding. This outcome reaffirms that principle and ensures Sandra can keep her home, which the City’s initial demands would have forced her to sell.”
Eighty-three-year-old Sandra May filed a lawsuit against the City and County of Honolulu on May 28 after it slapped her with $600,000 in fines for merely advertising a rental. The City also put a lien on her home and banned her from accessing essential public services such as driver’s license renewal. The City imposed the six-figure fine after alleging that Sandra had violated a local law which prohibits renting out property for less than 30 days at a time. A website error had allowed renters to inquire about short-term availability at her property — unbeknownst to Sandra, who had been hospitalized after a severe car accident.
Pacific Legal Foundation stepped in to represent Sandra in a lawsuit arguing that these demands were unconstitutionally excessive. The City quickly backed down. Under today’s settlement, she will pay just a fraction of what the City tried to demand before she challenged it in court.
This victory vindicates Sandra’s Eighth Amendment rights and allows her to keep her home. It also sends a warning to other local governments — when they use fines as revenue-generating schemes, Pacific Legal Foundation stands ready to hold them accountable in court for their abuses of power.
The case is Sandra May v. City and County of Honolulu.
Photography by Michelle Mishina Kunz.
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About Pacific Legal Foundation
Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse. Since our founding in 1973, we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights. With active cases in 34 states plus Washington, D.C., PLF represents clients in state and federal courts, with 18 wins of 21 cases litigated at the U.S. Supreme Court.