We’re on our third day at the 2018 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Conference in Charleston, SC, and as usual, we’re having our headline presentations by takings guru Michael Berger (pictured above), who is updating us on the most interesting and important cases of the past year, and Jim Burling, who will
42 U.S.C. § 1983 | Civil Rights
Nebraska: No “Property” In Water Rights Subject To Interstate Compact
In Cappel v. Nebraska Dep’t of Natural Resources, No. S-16-1037 (Dec. 22, 2017), the Nebraska Supreme Court concluded the Department’s notices to Cappel pursuant to an interstate water compact which closed off his land’s ability to draw surface water from the Republican River for irrigating his crops was neither a physical nor regulatory taking. …
Links And Materials From Today’s Las Vegas Eminent Domain Conference
West Virginia: Takings Clause Protects More Than Just Land – Owners Of Personal Property Can Bring Inverse Condemnation Claims
The title of West Virginia Lottery v. A-1 Amusement, Inc., No. 16-1047 (Nov. 13, 2017) alone may not give you an indication that this is a takings case, but yes, it’s a takings case.
As the title might indicate, it’s a case involving the state-run lottery and video lottery machines. If we’re reading…
Georgia: No True Taking – Challenge To City’s Refusal To Rezone Isn’t Really Inverse Condemnation
The Georgia Supreme Court’s analysis in Diversified Holdings, LLP v. City of Suwanee, No. S17A1140 (Nov. 2, 2017) reminded us of that old trope from logic, “no true Scotsman.”
According to a completely reliable source (Wikipedia):
No true Scotsman is a kind of informal fallacy in which one attempts to protect a…
New York City Takings Pilgrimage, Central Park Edition
What do takings mavens think about when they hear “New York City” and “takings?” Probably the granddaddy case of them all, Penn Central. Or maybe Courtesy Sandwich Shop, or Loretto. All good ones, landmarks.
But this post isn’t about a visit to the sites of those cases (not to worry, we’ll get…
After A Plaintiff Jury Verdict (And Rejection Of Town’s Four Previous Motions Over Nine Years), Takings Claim Held Not Ripe
The Connecticut Appeals Court’s opinion in Stones Trail, LLC v. Town of Weston, No. AC 38078 (July 18, 2017), does not offer a lot in terms of substance — it holds that a property owner’s regulatory takings claim based on the Town’s approval of what the owner thought was a subdivision was not ripe…
Night of the Living Zombie Zoning Inspectors – Ordinance Allowing Searches For Unauthorized Cemeteries “Constitutionally Suspect,” But Not Yet Justiciable
The Township of Scott, Pennsylvania, apparently has a problem of unregulated cemeteries. Who knew?
So it did what local government do when they think they have a problem, it passed a law. That law, Ordinance 12-12-20-001, required owners of all cemeteries, public or private, to maintain them. The ordinance also contained two troublesome provisions.
Michiganders: Go Ahead, File Your Federal Regulatory Taking And Inverse Condemnation Claims In Federal Court
You heard that right. After the Michigan Court of Appeals’ recent ruling in Lanzi v. Township of St. Clair, No. 329795 (May 23, 2017), you should consider skipping the usual Williamson County step of filing your federal takings claims in state court.
In that case, property owners sued the township after the township’s sewage…
Land Use Facepalm
We all have had those moments, haven’t we?
Today’s linked story is more land-usey than eminent domain-ey, but still interesting for you condemnation lawyers on the line (besides, condemnation lawyers really do have to know land use law, don’t they?).
Honolulu can is a tough place to be, with our status as one of the…



