New York City and the state want the courts to dismiss a challenge to the city’s property-tax system.

A lawsuit filed in February alleges the city’s property tax system discriminates against blacks and Hispanics living in rental buildings.

It says the system favors owners of co-ops, condos and single-family homes, where the residents are more likely to be white.

According to The Wall Street Journal the city and state say any changes to the property-tax assessment system should be addressed by the legislature, rather than the courts.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Lucas Ferrara, says the city and state have “opted to play procedural games.”

The city’s brief was filed Monday. The state filed its motion on Friday.

The issue will be heard in October in state Supreme Court in Manhattan.

(AP)