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Regulatory Takings and Executive Power to Seize Property
On August 20, 2024, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued a ruling in Wolfe v. Reading Blue Mountain & Northern RR Co. The Court overturned the Commonwealth Court’s determination that a condemnation of private land by a...more
In the case of N. Ridgeville v. Zilka, 9th Dist. Lorain No. 23CA012047, 2024-Ohio-2468, Ohio’s Ninth District Court of Appeals addressed the ability of a property owner in an eminent domain action to recover attorney fees...more
Update - February 2024: We have been following the progress of House Bill (“HB”) 64 in Ohio’s 135th General Assembly (formerly HB 698 in the 134th General Assembly) (the “Bill”), which proposes numerous changes to Ohio’s...more
This past week I had the opportunity to attend the International Right of Way Association’s (IRWA) Region 1 Fall Forum and Symposium in San Diego, California. On Friday, Brad Kuhn and I presented an update on recent federal...more
The Law of Taking was Fishy - If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. But what if a man has the right to sell fish, and he builds his business...more
The construction of a bike path ran into a bump in the road when the Mill Creek Metropolitan Park District (Park District) attempted to take land through eminent domain. The Park District is a public entity that is attempting...more
On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a Minnesota county’s retention of the excess proceeds from sale of a homeowner’s property to satisfy a tax lien violated the Takings Clause. This decision recognizes that...more
Local governments—generally counties—impose property taxes on real estate pursuant to state law. Sometimes called ad valorem taxes, these property taxes are set based on the assessed value of the property. When a landowner...more
Update: We previously published the alert below regarding House Bill (“HB”) 698 in the 134th Ohio General Assembly, which proposed numerous changes to Ohio’s eminent domain statutes that would be favorable to property owners,...more
The payment of “just compensation” for the taking of private property includes more than merely writing a check to the property owner after a jury determines the current fair market value of the taking. A property owner is...more
Under Ohio Revised Code 163.04, a condemning authority is required to make a good faith offer to purchase property it seeks to acquire at least 30 days before it may file an eminent domain lawsuit to take the property. If it...more
This week, the Court addresses the application of abstention doctrine to federal takings litigation and whether the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s membership policies violate antitrust law. The Court holds that...more
Local government agencies sometimes enact short-term building moratoriums for certain areas to further assess changes in land use patterns or slow growth. Those moratoriums imposed across a large area usually do not...more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently ruled in the Puerto Rico bankruptcy case that Fifth Amendment takings claims cannot be discharged or impaired by a bankruptcy plan. As a matter of first impression in...more
Facts: The property owner alleged a per se taking and inverse condemnation in the expansion of a road that increased surface and stormwater runoff flowing under the property and ultimately a sinkhole in the parking lot. The...more
Earlier this month, we gave a presentation during the International Right of Way Association’s 68th Annual Education Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. In keeping with the “rock and roll” theme, our session, “Ch-Ch-Changes in the...more
Over the next five years, the federal government expects to spend over a trillion dollars on a wide range of infrastructure projects, including road widenings, bridge repairs, and upgrading mass transit and the power grid (to...more
On June 7, 2022, House Bill 698 was introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives. The Bill would amend Ohio’s eminent domain law, Ohio Revised Code Chapter 163, in numerous ways that are favorable to property owners and...more
For property owners, the process of eminent domain — the legal proceeding through which the government can acquire private property for a public purpose — can be a long and intimidating journey. Once an owner becomes aware...more
You received a Notice of Intent from the government or private company seeking to take your property. You probably have a lot of questions. Read on for answers to common questions and tips on how to protect your rights during...more
A recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit concerned a nightmare scenario for any property owner. The plaintiffs sought to rebuild their beachfront house after it was destroyed. Originally...more
In Knick v. Township of Scott, 139 S.Ct. 2162 (2019), the Supreme Court reversed over three decades of precedent when it eliminated the requirement that a plaintiff exhaust state court remedies before pursuing a takings...more
About to enter eminent domain proceedings? Chances are your case falls into one of the three main ‘taking’ categories defined by your state’s constitution. 3 Basic ‘Takings’ Categories for Eminent Domain Cases in the...more
In the last five years, several new cases have come before Ohio’s Supreme Court related to eminent domain (ED) law, as well as the rulings, rights, and amendments surrounding Ohio’s ED process. It can be a complex issue...more
At the end of its recent term, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a new decision on the law of takings. The case, Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid, was a labor relations dispute disguised as a takings case, but its resolution...more