Photo of Robert H. Thomas

Robert H. Thomas

Here’s our colleague and friend, Pepperdine lawprof Shelley Saxer, an expert on inverse condemnation and its use in mass disaster cases, on the use of inverse condemnation as a theory of recovery for the Maui disaster. Here’s the description from Bloomberg Law Podcast:

“Shelley Ross Saxer, a law professor at Pepperdine University, discusses the Lahaina

On this morning’s drive-time program, we joined KHVH’s Rick Hamada about whether Hawaii might adopt California’s version of inverse condemnation liability in wildfire cases. We also tried to clear up a few misconceptions (gad, I used “disinformation,” a term I try to eschew).

Here’s the program description:

Inverse Condemnation and Maui Wildfires: A Conversation with

Screenshot 2023-08-23 at 16-13-54 To tackle highest housing costs in the country Hawaii's governor declares YIMBY martial law

Here’s an excellent report on a situation we’ve been following, the Hawaii governor’s proclamation of a housing emergency. In “To Tackle Highest Housing Costs in the Country, Hawaii’s Governor Declares YIMBY Martial Law,” Christian Britschgi at Reason writes:

Developers with a [Beyond Barriers] working group [what we cheekily referred to as

Screenshot Capture - 2023-08-18 - 08-32-14
Where you can build 1-4 family residences by right

The Hawaii Zoning Atlas project has announced publication of the Hawaii Zoning Atlas, an “interactive map [that] explores how restrictive zoning laws can make it difficult to build diverse, affordable housing.”

The official announcement notes:

The map is based on an original dataset compiled by

A fairly short one from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In Sheffield v. Buckingham, No. 22-40350 (July 31, 2023), the court affirmed the district court’s declining to issue a preliminary injunction enjoining State of Texas officials from enforcing the Open Beaches Act.

The presumptive public/private boundary on beaches in Texas

Untitled Extract Pages

Two years ago, Owners’ Counsel of America endowed a scholarship in the name of its founder, property rights advocate and trial lawyer Toby Prince Brigham (1934-2021). The scholarship is for a second- or third- year law student to attend the annual three-day ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference (the upcoming Conference will be

Well, that was quick. As reported here (“HECO Kept The Power Flowing In Lahaina Even As Poles Toppled“), we’ve already seen the first lawsuit filed seeking recovery for the Maui wildfire that destroyed Lahaina town — a class action even before there’s been any official word about what caused or contributed to the

In Masloka v. Public Utility District No. 1, No. 101241-1 (Aug. 3, 2023), the Washington Supreme Court held that a takings claim did not automatically transfer to a new property owner when the property was sold.

Your first reaction might be like ours, “what about Palazzolo!?” Didn’t that case say that transfer of

Screenshot 2023-06-16 at 07-52-47 How Did Property Rights Fare at the Supreme Court What Happened in the 2022 Term and What's Next ALI CLE

Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), please join us for ALI-CLE’s web program, “How Did Property Rights Fare at the Supreme Court? What Happened in the 2022 Term and What’s Next.”

Here’s the course description:

This has been a blockbuster U.S. Supreme Court term for property