January 2012

In City of Dallas v. Stewart, No. 09-0257 (Jan. 27, 2012), the Texas Supreme Court provided a good reminder of the importance of property rights and due process, even when protecting rights may inconvenience the government. In that case, the court held that a determination by a city agency that a home was a

Here are the cases Professor Callies and I discussed in today’s session at ALI-ABA’s Eminent Domain and Land Valuation conference:

  • McCandless v. United States, 298 U.S. 242 (1936) – an offer of proof that irrigation water could be transported to the land was not too “remote and speculative,” and should have been allowed

Under California law, there’s a short statute of limitations (technically, it’s a “statute of repose” but who’s quibbling) for challenges to local government zoning decisions. The statute requires that a challenge must be filed within 90 days to “attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the decision of a legislative body to adopt or amend

The San Diego area must be on the karmic radar this week, and here’s the latest: a Federal Circuit decision in a case involving the U.S. Border Patrol’s activities on private land on the border with Mexico. In Otay Mesa Property, L.P. v. United States, No. 2011-5002 (Jan. 25, 2012), the court held that

Here’s what we’re reading today:

  • Oakland budget cuts his zoo, Children’s Fairyland – from the San Francisco Chronicle: “In all, more than $28 million will be sliced from the budget, mostly from the $388 million general fund. The cuts are due to the loss of redevelopment funds, which Oakland used to fund services and

We’ve been watching Bowers v. Whitman, No. 10-24966 (Jan. 12, 2012), the case which challenged Oregon’s Measure 49, the statute adopted by initiative that replaced and modified the earlier Measure 37. Measure 37, for those not aware, was the initiative measure by which Oregon voters required the state to compensate owners whose private property

Roxie_logoSan Francisco Bay Areans: come join us at the Roxie Theater (3117 16th Street between Valencia and Guerrero, San Francisco) tonight for screenings of Battle for Brooklyn, the Oscar-shortlisted documentary film about the Atlantic Yards eminent domain case. Two shows, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. Details, including ticket purchase here.

I’ll be