What would you do if you lived next door to an irresponsible property owner who allowed his vacant lot to fill up with dangerous debris, or allowed hobos and drug dealers to hang out there, or who wantonly violated city and state health and safety codes?

What if you rented a house or apartment from that same landlord, and he refused to do anything to fix the leaky roof, the spreading black mold, the rodent infestation and other downright dangerous conditions?

You would call on the government to impose fines and sanctions on that miscreant, right? But what if the government was that slumlord? What if the government told you that it didn't need to follow its own rules and laws and that it could not be prosecuted for anything under "sovereign immunity" – the principle that individuals cannot sue the government.