2009

Here are items which we’ve been reviewing today:

  • Dwight Merriam’s thoughts on SCOTUS nominee, Second Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
  • A report that the “Florida Hometown Democracy” initiative has made the 2010 ballot. According to the report “[i]f the proposal gets 60 percent approval at the polls, HometownDemocracy would require local referendums on changes to city

A very interesting conference call today, focusing on the property-related decisions by SCOTUS nominee Sotomayor and the takings case recently accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Here are the links to some of the cases and other topics discussed during today’s call, and other items of interest which we didn’t have time for:

The U.S. Supreme Court last week agreed to review the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Walton County v. Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc.,998 So.2d 1102 (Fla. Sep. 29, 2008), which heldthat a state statute prohibiting “beach renourishment” without apermit did not effect a taking of littoral (beachfront) property, eventhough it altered the long-standing rights

Update: the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on December 2, 2009. The transcript and our summary of the arguments are posted here (Petitioners’ argument), here (Respondents’ argument), and here (United States as amicus).

Here are links and other items of interest about Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc. v. Florida Dep’t of Environmental Protection, No.

It looks like the federal government will likely seek U.S. Supreme Court review of Casitas Municipal Water District v. United States, 543 F.3d 1276 (Fed. Cir. 2008). As noted here, the SG’s office has sought and received two extensions of time and the cert petition is now due by July 17, 2009.

In

I’ve been reading some noteworthy law journal articles on the subject of eminent domain —  two on the issue of pretext, and one on just compensation. Worth reviewing.

  • Daniel S. Hafetz, Ferreting Out Favoritism: Bringing Pretext Claims After Kelo, 77 Fordham L. Rev. 3095 (2009).

    The plaintiffs in Goldstein based their pretext claims on both

Head’s up to all members of the ABA’s Section of State and Local Government Law‘s Condemnation Law Committee: you should have received an email about next week’s conference call (Thursday, June 25, 2 p.m. EDT) to discuss recent developments and items of interest, including:

  • Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s opinions in takings-related cases, including Didden

The US Court of Appeals has reversed the Court of Federal Claims’ dismissal of a takings case, holding the right to develop land is property protected by the Takings Clause. In Schooner Harbor Ventures, Inc. v. United States, No. 2008-5084 (June 16, 2009), the property owner claimed a designation of its property (Site 28)