You know those times you go to the store and try to get a refund on something you’ve purchased, and instead of cash back, you get a gift card, only useable at the same store? Or when, instead of refunding your plane ticket, the airline gives you some limited-time credit for a future flight?
Michigan SCT: Without Legislature’s Assent, Governor’s Emergency Powers Terminate At 28 Days
This just in in a case we’ve been following. In In re Certified Questions, No. 161492 (Oct. 2, 2020), the Michigan Supreme Court responded to the federal court’s certified question about whether, under Michigan’s statutes, the governor has the authority to effectively extend a declared state of emergency by terminating an expiring declaration
Your 2020 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference Bingo Card
Ninth Circuit, Over Dissent, Denies Injunction For Church COVID Restrictions
This one doesn’t involve a takings claim, but since we’re tracking the cases involving coronavirus-related shut down orders and restrictions, we thought we would post this here too.
In Harvest Rock Church, Inc. v. Newsom, No. 20-55907 (Oct. 1, 2020), a panel of the Ninth Circuit rejected a church’s request for an injunction
Burying The Lead: No Taking When City’s Water Pipe Replacement Program Alleged To Result In More Danger To Owners’ Properties
Here’s the latest in a case we’ve been following.
In Berry v. City of Chicago, No. 124999 (Sep. 24, 2020), the Illinois Supreme Court avoided the analysis that split the court of appeals, and upheld the dismissal of a very “torty” inverse condemnation claim. The plaintiffs alleged that the City of Chicago’s program
In Which We Go Over To The Dark Side: Our Guest Appearance On The Pendulum Land Podcast (SPAM, Takings, Star Trek/Wars, and More!)
We were honored to be a guest on an episode of the Pendulum Land Podcast. Here’s the description from the show notes:
Hawaii inverse condemnation lawyer and William and Mary Law School adjunct professor Rob Thomas joins your hosts to discuss recording his classic single “Smooth” with Carlos Santana, whether the COVID moratoriums on
Cert Petition: Can A State Agency Decide Whether There’s Been A Taking?
Here’s the latest development in a case out of Maryland that we’ve been following for a while.
This is the one where Maryland Reclamation Association bought land back in 1990 to operate a rubble landfill. But after the purchase, the County changed its regs to prohibit (guess what) … rubble landfills. Mesne litigation ensued
There’s Still Room: Join Us For The 17th Annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference (Online, Free!)
Although it is set to launch this Friday, October 2, 2020, there’s still more than enough time to register (and room at the inn) for you to join us for the 17th Annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at the William and Mary Law School.
Like everything else this season, the Conference is online (
Complaint (N.D. Ga.): CDC Eviction Moratorium Is Unconstitutional (No Takings Claim, However)
Well, that didn’t take long: as we surmised back when the CDC first issued its order halting residential evictions until the end of the year due to COVID (see “How Can? U.S. DHS: National Eviction Moratorium (Roscoe Filburn Could Not Be Reached For Comment),” the order has resulted in a complaint in
Friends Without Benefits: CA7 Rejects Takings Claim For Obama Center Because Citizen’s Group Lacks Property Interest In Public Park
We’ve been meaning to write up the U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision in a case we’ve been following, Protect Our Parks, Inc v. Chicago Park District, No. 19-2308 (Aug. 231, 2020), but our Illinois colleague Mike Ryan was quicker on the draw.
Rather than summarize Mike’s write up, we simply suggest you go