U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Briefs
Tyler vs. Hennepin County
No. 22-166
Geraldine Tyler, age 94, owed Hennepin County $2,300 in unpaid property taxes on her Minnesota condominium. When that small amount ultimately generated $12,700 in fees, the County seized her condo and sold it to pay the taxes and fees. By the time the condo was sold for $40,000, Tyler’s total debt came to $15,000. But the county did not return the excess $25,000 to Tyler. Instead, it pocketed the excess equity in her home.
more infoBridge Aina Le’a, LLC v. Hawaii Land Use Commission
No. 20-54
Developer Bridge Aina Le‘a, LLC, purchased a large tract of land in Hawaii to build hundreds of new homes. Before the company ever got the chance, however, the Hawaii Land Use Commission re‐designated the land for agricultural use, effectively preventing any residential development from occurring.
more infoLech v. City of Greenwood Village
No. 19-1123
After being chased by police for stealing clothing from a Walmart, a man barricaded himself in a house in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Over a 19 hour period, using explosives and a battering ram attached to an armored personnel carrier, the local police department’s SWAT team intentionally destroyed the landowner’s house to force the fugitive to surrender.
more infoKnick v. Township of Scott
588 U.S.
In Knick, the U. S. Supreme Court agreed that property owners are entitled to enforce their right to just compensation in federal court in situations where governmental entities take their property in violation of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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