Get ready for Sheetz v. El Dorado County, No. 22-1074, the “legislative exactions” case at the Supreme Court. [Disclosure: this is one of our firm’s cases, so we won’t be doing an analysis here. Besides, you already know where we stand on the issue.]
Nollan/Dolan | Exactions
Cases And Links From Today’s ABA State & Local Govt Law Land Use Presentation
Here are the cases that Michael Berger and I discussed in today’s presentation to the ABA State and Local Government Law Section’s Land Use group. It was good seeing everyone, even virtually:
- Sheetz v. County of El Dorado – are legislatively-imposed exactions subject to the nexus and proportionality requirements of Nollan/Dolan? (SCOTUS)
- Devillier v.
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Legislative Exactions Merits Brief (Ours): “the text and history of the Takings Clause admit no exception for legislative takings”
Here’s the merits brief in a case we’ve been following (naturally, because it is one of ours). This is Sheetz v. El Dorado County, the case which asks whether a condition on development (aka an “exaction”) is exempt from the close nexus and rough proportionality standards of Nollan/Dolan/Koontz simply because the exaction is imposed…
Here’s The Program For The 41st ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Feb 1-3, 2024, New Orleans
Here’s the brochure and the full agenda and registration information for the upcoming ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference at the JW Marriott in New Orleans, February 1-3, 2024.
This is the long-running nationally-focused conference on all things eminent domain, takings, valuation, and related. We have three tracks, from which you can …
Supreme Court Property Rights Round-Up
Here’s what we’re reading about the Supreme Court’s property rights docket — some good, some disappointing — this day.
- Niina Farah, “Supreme Court flooding case could ripple across the energy sector“ (E & E News / Energywire) – About the Devillier case (which we summarized here), in which we were
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Cert Grant #2 – SCOTUS (Finally!) To Resolve Whether Legislative Exactions Are Subject To Nollan-Dolan-Koontz Nexus And Rough Proportionality

“I’ll take ‘Words I Like to See’ for $800, Alex.“
In this Order, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two important property rights cases (are there any other kind?). Both are cases we’ve been following — and indeed are now playing a part in.
ALI-CLE’s Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (Feb 1-3, 2024, New Orleans): Why Attend? Here’s Why.
Why is it, you ask, that the ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (scheduled next February 1-3, 2024, in New Orleans) is an event that seems to be growing in popularity and attendance. In recent years, we have standing room only in the Conference halls, and have sold out the hotel block.
DC Circuit: US Copyright Office’s Requirement To Turn Over Copies Is A Taking
The buried lede in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s opinion in Valancourt Books, LLC v. Garland, No. 21-5205 (Aug. 29, 2023) is that the government doesn’t have that big of a role in copyrights, at least in the bare minimum of copyright protections.
We’re no copyright experts (that’s an understatement)…
Tex App: Nollan/Dolan Challenge To Annexation Fees Not Ripe: You Have To Apply For Annexation To Find Out What The Fee Will Be
The city told an owner whose three parcels were outside of the city’s jurisdiction that if it wanted the city’s permission to replat into 74 parcels, it would need city water and sewer service to each of the proposed lots.
So the owner asked to connect to the city’s water and sewer system (deliberately overbuilt…
Chump Alert! Developer’s Claim That City Can Be Held To Its Contract Limiting Exactions Goes About As Well As You’d Expect
We’re not going to dwell all that much on the California Court of Appeal’s recent opinion in Discovery Builders, Inc. v. City of Oakland, No. A164315 (June 22, 2023), mostly because it seems entirely predictable.
The developer thought it had an agreement with the city to pay certain fees (dare we say “exactions”) the…


