March 2013

Here’s the Reply Brief in Horne v. United States Dep’t of Agriculture, No. 12-123 (cert. granted Nov. 20, 2012), the case asking whether in an enforcement action by the USDA, California raisin farmers can raise the defense that the requirement they turn over to the government a certain percentage of their yearly crop would…

Yesterday, we posted our thoughts about the upcoming (March 20) Supreme Court oral arguments in Horne v. United States Dep’t of Agriculture, No. 12-123 (cert. granted Nov. 20, 2012), the case asking whether in an enforcement action by the USDA, California raisin farmers can raise the defense that the requirement they turn over to…

Hat tip to Dean Patty Salkin’s Law of the Land blog for bringing this case to our attention. We don’t have much to add to her comprehensive write up of the Georgia Supreme Court’s opinion in City of Suwanee v. Settles Bridge Farm, LLC, No. S12A1599 (Feb. 18, 2013), a case holding that a…

Koontz Sets The Stage

The apparent sticking point during the January oral arguments in n Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012), came to light via Justice Scalia’s questioning of the property owner’s counsel about whether anything had been “taken” when a property owner refused to…

Here’s the Brief in Opposition which responds to the cert petition in Ilagan v. Ungacta, No. 12-723 (cert. petition filed Dec. 7, 2012).

In that case, an Agana, Guam property owner is alleging that a taking of his residential property so that his neighbor (the former mayor of Agana) could have a driveway for…

Undercutting the trope that the lawsuit by a Marin County, California oyster farm to keep operating is all a right-wing plot (see also this story), famed Berkeley chef and food guru Alice Waters has asked the Ninth Circuit to file an amicus brief in support of Drakes Bay Oyster Company in its appeal of…

Here’s more about the Federal Circuit’s decision in Lost Tree Village, a case we covered here: US Army Corps Denies A § 404 Permit: Can A Takings Claim Be Based OnConsideration Of The Economic Affect On the Wetlands Parcel Only? from Abbott & Kindermann’s Land Use Blog.

Earlier, we posted the initial briefs in Big Oak Farms, Inc. v. United States, a case now pending in the Court of Federal Claims. Or, more correctly, perhaps being revived in the CFC because it was dismissed earlier.

The property owner in Big Oak Farms is seeking compensation for the flooding of its land…

Here’s one more amicus brief (Public Lands Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, Washington Cattlemen’s Association, and Nevada Cattlemen’s Association) supporting the cert petition in Estate of Hage v. United States, No. 12-918 (cert. petition filed Jan. 17, 2013).

Estate of Hage is the case in which the Federal Circuit held that…