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Breaking News: Come Join Us For The 42d ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, San Diego, Jan 30-Feb 1

With our tongues firmly planted in cheeks, the Planning Chairs for the upcoming 42d edition of this popular and venerable Conference bring you this "breaking news" report from San Diego!

As you know, in addition to being the best nationally-focused conference on the subjects that we love and a venue that is nearly certain to have some of the warmest winter weather in the continental United States, and we went on-location from some of the local highlights: the beaches, Torrey Pines, the Zoo, Balboa Park, the Gaslamp Quarter, and Coronado to name but a few.

More about the Conference here, including registration information.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Property Rights at the Supreme Court: DeVillier and Sheetz and What's Next
• Slow Take: Possession, Rent, Relocation, and Offset
• The Jury's View: How Jurors See Your Case
• From Penn Coal to Penn Central: How to Prove "Too Far"
• Leveraging Expertise in Eminent Domain Litigation: Working with Land Planners, Engineers, and Other Predicate Experts
• Kelo at Twenty: What Changed, What Didn't, and What's on the Horizon
• Viva Las Vegas: How the Nevada Judiciary Upheld Property Rights in 180 Land's Inverse Condemnation Taking
• Ethics: Guiding the Trolley: Perspectives on Professional Ethics in Eminent Domain for Lawyers, Appraisers, and Right of Way Agents
• "I Think I Shall Never See" Just Compensation For a Tree: Strategies to Securing Recovery for Trees, Crops, and Fixtures

And more. Check out the complete agenda here. Registration information here. 

We especially welcome first-time participants, or those returning after an absence. Connect (or reconnect) with your colleagues from across the nation.

The 41st Conference was in New Orleans. Here's a report of that event, and here are our reports from prior conferences in Austin and Scottsdale.

Don't miss out on San Diego: we have had record attendance in recent years, so hold your space now. #EminentDomain2025

Registration For The 42d ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference Is Underway (Don't Miss Out!)

Get ready to join your colleagues and friends in San Diego for the 42d ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference.

The 41st Conference was in New Orleans. Here's a report of that event, and here are our reports from prior conferences in Austin and Scottsdale.

Here are some of the highlights of the upcoming Conference:

• Property Rights at the Supreme Court: DeVillier and Sheetz and What's Next
• Slow Take: Possession, Rent, Relocation, and Offset
• The Jury's View: How Jurors See Your Case
• From Penn Coal to Penn Central: How to Prove "Too Far"
• Leveraging Expertise in Eminent Domain Litigation: Working with Land Planners, Engineers, and Other Predicate Experts
• Kelo at Twenty: What Changed, What Didn't, and What's on the Horizon
• Viva Las Vegas: How the Nevada Judiciary Upheld Property Rights in 180 Land's Inverse Condemnation Taking
• Ethics: Guiding the Trolley: Perspectives on Professional Ethics in Eminent Domain for Lawyers, Appraisers, and Right of Way Agents
• "I Think I Shall Never See" Just Compensation For a Tree: Strategies to Securing Recovery for Trees, Crops, and Fixtures

And more. Check out the complete agenda here. Registration information here. 

We especially welcome first-time participants, or those returning after an absence. Connect (or reconnect) with your colleagues from across the nation.

Don't miss out: we have had record attendance in recent years, so hold your space now.

Come, join us!

The Eminent Domain Podcast Is Back!

As we hinted at a couple of weeks ago, we have some good -- nay, great -- news: the Eminent Domain Podcast, retired earlier this year by its originator Clint Schumacher, is back with a new host and a slightly new title: "Come and Take It: The Eminent Domain Podcast."

Bobby Debelak has stepped into the host's chair. As you might be able to tell from the new title, Bobby is also a Texas lawyer.

Here's the first episode, where Client figuratively hands the baton to Bobby. If you haven't already subscribed to the feed, now's the time so you don't miss an episode. Available on all pod feeds, so be sure to get subscribed.

Are you as excited about this as we are?

A CFC Primer On Rails-to-Trails Takings

If you ever wanted a primer on the sometimes-confusing and seemingly arcane world of Rails-to-Trails takings cases, you would be hard-pressed to find a better example of the substantive law and the procedures in these cases than the Court of Federal Claims opinion in Nicholson v. United States , No. 23-843 (Mar. 13, 2024).

There's nothing particularly outrageous about this case, but that's one of the reasons why we appreciate the time that Judge Tapp put into the opinion (and the effort our colleagues Lindsay Brinton and Meghan Largent put into the case). 

Here's how the opinion starts off:

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods[.]" Yet for the Hyatt and Nicholson Plaintiffs (collectively referred to as “Plaintiffs”), that pleasure was replaced with the pain of usurped property rights. Tn its pursuit of public amenities, the United States transformed Plaintiffs’ land previously burdened by an unused railway into a different burden—a walking trail. Plaintiffs bring this rails-to-trails case contesting the United States’ action as an uncompensated taking.

The United States moves for summary judgment, primarily arguing that because compensation is not available to Plaintiffs, there can be no taking. (Hyatt Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 18; Nicholson Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 13 (collectively referred to as “Def.’s Mot. for Summ. J.”)). Plaintiffs cross-move for partial summary judgment as to liability, arguing that the United States’ action of changing the nature of an easement on their property effected a taking. (Hyatt Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, ECF No. 19; Nicholson Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, ECF No. 14 (collectively referred to as “Pls.’ Mot. for Part. Summ. J.”)). Plaintiffs further argue that the Court should clarify certain calculations relating to just compensation. (See generally Pls.’ Mot. for Part. Summ. J.). The Court disagrees; conclusions as to those calculations are inappropriate at this stage. Ultimately though, the Court agrees that the United States has taken Plaintiffs’ property for public use. Therefore, Plaintiffs’ Motion is granted-in-part and the United States’ Motion is denied. The quantum of compensation is premature and left for another day.

Slip op. at 1-2 (footnotes omitted).

Check it out.

Nicholson v. United States, No. 23-843 (Fed. Cl. Mar. 13, 2024)

CA9: "Traditional common law rule" That Utilities Bear The Cost Of Relocating From Public Right-of-Way Isn't A Taking

Here's one about Lucas "background principles" of property law, or maybe the Supreme Court's current focus on "history and tradition" when it comes to defining private property for purposes of the Takings Clause. 

In So. Cal. Edison Co. v. Orange County Transp. Auth., No. 22-55498 (Mar. 13, 2024), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a grant of summary judgment denying a takings claim by a public utility which sought compensation after the County ordered it to move its equipment off of a public right-of-way for a streetcar line at its own expense.

The utility raised a physical takings claim, but the court didn't get to that issue, instead focusing on whether it owned property. The court noted that state law "generally" defines property but, citing Tyler, held that there are certain "traditional property law principles" and "historical practices" about property that no state may alter without compensation.

With that understanding in mind, we consider whether the Utilities have a property interest in maintaining their facilities at their specific locations in the face of OCTA’s efforts to construct a streetcar line. We first examine that question under California property law and then consider traditional property-law principles, historical practice, and precedent.

Slip op. at 9.

The court concluded that the utility never owned the "stick" of compensation for relocation. The court held that "California law does not give the Utilities the property interest that they assert." Id. The court noted a 1958 California Supreme Court decision which held that when a utility "accepts franchise right in public streets," it is subject to an implied obligation to relocate at its own expense when the government wants to use the right of way.

Skip to page 14 of the slip opinion for what we think is the more interesting part: does the California rule that the property rights of utilities in public-rights-of-way do not include recovering relocation costs if the government requires them to move consistent with historical and traditional property rights? The Ninth Circuit relied primarily on a U.S. Supreme Court opinion, Norfolk Redev. & Hous. Auth. v. Chesapeake & Potomac Tel. Co., 464 U.S. 30 (1983), for the notion that "utilities have been required to bear the entire cost of relocating from a public right-of-way whenever requested to do so by state or local authorities."

The Ninth Circuit also noted that this was not a new rule but goes as far back as 1905, and that "for more than a hundred years, utilities have been required to relocate to make way for a government that seeks to vindicate its right to use the streets and enact 'proper regulations in the interest of the public health, morals, and safety.'" Slip op. at 15.

The court also rejected the utility's reliance on City of Los Angeles v. Los Angeles Gas & Electric Corp., 251 U.S. 32 (1919), which held that it was a taking for the city to remove or relocate telephone poles "when necessary." That argument crashed on the shoals of the rational basis test:

we do not read Los Angeles Gas & Electric to invite us to make our own assessment of whether a streetcar line is or is not necessary for Orange County—the California Legislature, after all, believes that the project serves valuable public purposes, and the Utilities offer no reason for us to second-guess that judgment.

Slip op. at 17. In the LA Gas case, the project "apparently lacked any public-facing rationale, and it therefore lost its status of 'governmental.'" Id. The streetcar project here suffered from no such omission as the County had said aloud the magic words that its project was for a public purpose. Thus, "[i]t is a governmental project that fits comfortably within a long tradition of relocations for which franchisees must foot the bill." Id.

Finally, the Ninth Circuit rejected the utility's argument that a California statute assigns the costs for these type of relocations on the government. Check out pages 18-21 for the reasons why.

So. Cal. Edison Co. v. Orange County Transp. Auth., No. 22-55498 (9th Cir. Mar. 13, 2024)

Pass A Good Time: Our Report From The 41st ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Feb 1-3, 2024, New Orleans

When it comes to the longstanding ALI-CLE American Law Institute-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conferences, we're always ready to go. You know that. But this year's version -- the 41st -- was buzzing like no other in recent memory.

Maybe it was the New Orleans venue with its atmo, food, and music for our after-class activities, or even the timing (the second-to-last week on the Mardi Gras parade season, and our conference hotel was right on the routes). It might have been the nice weather (oh, it rained buckets one evening, but there wasn't an ice storm like we experienced in Austin in 2023). Or maybe it was the capacity crowd, and new topics and speakers on the agenda. Or maybe it was just the prospect of seeing our friends and colleagues again after a year.

Here's a photo essay of some of the Conference highlights.

And if you missed out, the webcast was recorded and is available for viewing. Or, better yet, hold on your calendar January 30 through February 1, 2025 for the 42d Conference, to be held at the Westin Bayside San Diego.

Excitement this way...

The view from the podium.
Say "hello" to our opening plenary session in wide-angle.

Prepping the space.
The finished stage that Conference attendees
see isn't how the room starts off.
It takes a lot of work by the ALI-CLE staff
to get the place camera-ready.

The live webcasting of the sessions also takes a lot of
set-up and a ton of equipment. This is just some of it. 

Here's more. 

The badges were arranged on the table with care...

...in trust that our faculty and registrants would soon be there.

No conference would be complete without swag.
Here is but a sampling.

As always, a huge thank you to our generous sponsors.
Without your support, this Conference would not be as
good as it is, year after year.


The Conference site was right on the routes of several parades.
It was difficult to keep focusing on severance damages and larger parcel
when the music and excitement was just outside.
But we tried.


The opening plenary session -- on the U.S. Supreme Court's
big takings case -- got us off to a solid start.


Thanks to Christina Martin and Steve Silva for speaking
on Tyler v Hennepin County.

The view from the podium as Amy Boulris speaks about the most
significant eminent domain decisions of 2023.

The speakers are a mix of practicing lawyers, judges, other eminent domain
professionals, and legal academics. Here, two property scholars --
Timothy Harris and Jessica Asbridge --
discuss how state property law and state courts
can drive the constitutional issues.

Kinnon Williams, Esq. and Christina Thoreson, SR-WA, MAI, CRE 
present on "Valuation of Wasting Assets."

Lawprof Emilio Longoria and attorney Tony Francois
on "What Condemnation Lawyers Need to Understand
About the Clean Water Act After Sackett"
(hint: it goes to highest and best use).

Matthew Ackerman, Marianna Baggett, and Kenneth Haywood
on "The Pitfalls of Objectively Measured Just Compensation:
When Market Value Isn't Enough."

It was not all work and no play.
Again, a big thanks to our generous sponsors.

Our speakers take questions, of course.
We solicit them the old-fashioned way (thanks, James Masterman).

William and Mary Law School Professor
Emerita Lynda Butler (and her former student, North Carolina's
Jeremy Hopkins" discuss property rights in an age of coastal retreat.

Luis Gallardo-Rivera, Dana Berliner, and (off-camera)
Sophia Holley on "Proving and Defending Pretext,
Public Use, and Necessity."

James Masterman and Martye Kendrick on "Preparing Your Witness
to Overcome Obstacles to Highest and Best Use."

Jeff McCoy, Robert McNamara, and Kristen Renfro on
"Getting to Federal Court and Staying There:
Navigating Procedural Mazes in Federal Takings Claims."

Sean Metherell and Nathan Farris zero in on
"How to Win a Future Highest and Best Use Claim: Proving Reasonable
Probability of Rezoning and Other Issues."

Michael Berger is Watching You:
SCOTUS Property Rights Maven Michael Berger zooms in with his
annual "Regulatory Takings Update."

We always hold a spot for Jim Burling on Saturday.
Why? Because his tours-de-force always are interesting
and put people in seats, even on a Saturday morning.

More Big Michael.
Here, sharing his memories of Professor Gideon Kanner.

See you in San Diego!
January 30 - February 1, 2025
Westin San Diego Bayside

No FOMO: There's Still Room For You To Join Us In New Orleans Feb 1-3, 2024 For The 41st ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference

Don't miss out!

We promise: this is the last time we're going to try to entice you to the upcoming ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference in New Orleans. We are getting close to capacity, but there is still room. In recent years, we have standing room only in the Conference halls, and have sold out the hotel block. After all, this is a pretty niche area of law. So what gives?

When we were in Austin last year, we thought it might be nice to try and answer that question. We asked Conference participants why they come, year-after-year (and in Austin, despite massive travel disruptions). Yes, it is the various venues (Nashville, Austin, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, to name a few recent locations), and yes, it is the excellent and useful programming.

But as we suspected it is more than that. As the above video notes, the consistent response from our participants about why the attend is the participants. The faculty and other attendees, the vendors. The collegiality, the chance to renew long-standing friendships, and especially the chance to make new friends and colleagues who share our passion for this area of law. The welcoming environment, and our desire to have lawyers and other professionals new to this area of law or new to the Bar feel at home and welcomed.

We have also made a big effort in the last few years to include a range of professionals from various perspectives, including lawyers, legal academics, jurists, appraisers and MAIs, planners, right of way and relocation experts, and jury and trial consultants. Family members also welcome (there are a lot of "adjacent" social and networking events, and families are welcome as long as they don't mind a lot of "shop talk"). Our program is a mix of practical and substantive sessions.

We also have a special track on the first day of the Conference designed as a crash course in Eminent Domain law ("Condemnation 101"), which is a good place for an overview and introduction to the practice, or as a refresher course for those with more time under your belt.

In short, we try and make the Conference not just a place to learn the latest in eminent domain and related topics, but somewhere you can return to each year, and feel welcome.

So if you have not attended before, give us a try! We'd love to see you in New Orleans in just a few months. Registration is still open. Sign up now, and don't miss out.

Hawaii SCT: Most Of Those Eminent Domain Issues (Esp. Severance Damages) Are For Juries

We're not going to go into very much detail or provide commentary on the Hawaii Supreme Court's unanimous 88-page opinion in an eminent domain case we've been following, City and County of Honolulu v. Victoria Ward, Ltd., No. SCAP-22-0000335 (Dec. 29, 2023), because before we departed private practice for public interest law a couple of years ago, this was our client and our case (so we still have a bias).

Update: more on the decision from Jesse Souki, "Hawai'i Court Holds that Consideration of Severance Damages in Honolulu Rail Case Should be Left to the Jury" ("The HSCT was critical of the circuit court’s granting of summary judgment motions where there were genuine issues of material fact that should be decided by the jury[.]").

Short story: the Honolulu rail agency (we're still calling it "HART" and not the weird "Skyline" although the latter is accurate because the elevated like really does block the ... skyline) is employing eminent domain to take several easements on several properties which are in the middle of being developed by Victoria Ward as part of a long-term, multi-parcel, multi-structure residential and mixed-use project. In the run-up to the trial, the trial court disposed of a slew of issues by granting 12 (yes, twelve) motions for summary judgment. The losers of those motions sought and were granted interlocutory review, and the appeal was later transferred from the Intermediate Court of Appeals to the Hawaii Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in June 2023. 

On the last business day of the year, the Supreme Court dropped the opinion. Here's how the Judiciary's web site described the issues:

These interlocutory appeals arise out of a condemnation action filed in 2018 by HART against Victoria Ward to take several acres of Victoria Ward’s mixed-use development community located in the Kakaʻako neighborhood of Honolulu (Ward Village). The purpose of HART’s taking was to construct a segment of railway and the Kakaʻako Station within Ward Village.

A number of the appeals at issue concern Victoria Ward’s claims for severance damages. The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority (HCDA) issued Victoria Ward a Master Plan Permit in 2009. The Master Plan Permit states, in part: “a more detailed transit route and station location shall be addressed and incorporated.” The parties disagree as to whether this language in the Master Plan Permit, together with Victoria Ward’s conduct, preclude Victoria Ward from recovering severance damages for impacts to non-taken property.

The circuit court issued a number of summary judgment orders precluding Victoria Ward from seeking severance damages. The circuit court also ruled on several related matters, specifying that “blight of summons” interest accrual would be paused during the pendency of the interlocutory appeals, and that Victoria Ward may not recover for loss of a luxury tower that allegedly could have been built on the site of the Kakaʻako station, for relocation of units from that tower to less valuable locations, for severance damages to property stipulated to be distinct from those where condemnations took place, or for replacing lost parking if replacement costs exceed loss in value. HART appeals from other circuit court rulings, including those specifying that some of Victoria Ward’s damages may not be offset by certain alleged “special benefits” flowing from the rail project.

We granted transfer and consolidated HART and Victoria Ward’s appeals for all purposes including oral argument and disposition.

The unanimous opinion authored by Chief Justice Recktenwald summarized the specific issues:

The circuit court granted a dozen summary judgment motions, which are the subject of this interlocutory appeal. These summary judgment orders touch on a wide variety of disputes. Most importantly, the circuit court ruled that Victoria Ward is estopped from seeking severance damages, though the orders also address such issues as the appropriate valuation methodology for lost parking spaces, the extent to which a party may be entitled to just compensation for a speculative construction project, and the effect of pre-dispute communications and local ordinances on a condemnee’s ability to seek just compensation. In addition to appealing the partial summary judgment orders, the parties appeal an order pausing the accrual of blight of summons interest, and two orders denying or denying in part motions to strike.

Slip op. at 2-3 (footnote omitted).

The court next acknowledged the "factual and legal complexity of this case, and the circuit court's legitimate concern with narrowing the issues for trial," slip op. at 3, which should give you a clue that this one was headed more for Rule 56 territory than substantive eminent domain.

Indeed, on each of the most important issues, the arguments ended more with a whimper than a bang: resist the temptation to resolve these questions by a judge when there remain genuine factual disputes which preclude the granting of summary judgment. 

Your takeaway: even where the issues are multitudinous, the case complex (neither unexpected when this much is at stake), at heart (ha) the question of just compensation is a fact determination to be decided by the jury. The judge may want the case simplified, but in the end the jury gets to decide. And that means the jury gets to hear all the evidence, even if the judge ain't buying it.

For example, HART contended that the location of the rail line and train station was "established" by HART's submissions of a "locally preferred alternative" to the federal transit agency (yes, mainland taxpayers, you are paying a significant portion of this project's price tag), and therefore, Victoria Ward could not recover just compensation for any planned development in that footprint because it was obligated to design its residential project around the footprint. The court held that this was a fact dispute:

The parties dispute the extent to which the LPA “established” the location of the guideway and station, as opposed to simply expressing a preference. HART asserts that, although the rail alignment changed slightly since Ordinance 07-001 was enacted, the Ordinance and LPA made clear — at least two years prior to the grant of the Master Plan Permit in 2009 — that the rail guideway and Kaka‘ako Station would be constructed within Ward Village in a manner consistent with the LPA. Consequently, HART argues that HCDA was under a legal obligation to require any Ward Village structures to “accommodate, and not conflict with,” rail as set out in the LPA. As a result of HCDA’s alleged obligation to ensure that all structures were in accord with the LPA, HART asserts that HCDA could not legally approve any projects that conflicted with the LPA. Thus, under HART’s theory, Victoria Ward is precluded from recovering severance damages for any projects that would otherwise conflict with the rail line or Kaka‘ako Station location, as defined by the LPA.

We disagree with HART’s position. There is a dispute of fact as to whether the LPA established definite plans to build the Kaka‘ako Station within Ward Village, or if the LPA instead contemplated a station near, but outside of, Ward Village.

Slip op. at 17-18. As the opinion noted, "[t]he Ordinance's test does not reflect certainty as to a rail route or station location." Slip op. at 18.

To emphasize the jury-centric approach to just compensation, a search of the opinion reveals the word "jury" at least 33 times.

In another related example, the court noted that indeed, the master plan for the overall residential project that Victoria Ward obtained permission from the state agency that regulates land uses in this district, does require Victoria Ward to "address and incorporate Rail." Slip op. at 20. But that doesn't necessarily mean that by accepting this permit condition, Victoria Ward was agreeing to "plan around" rail, and thus had voluntarily surrendered its rights to just compensation. What the term "address and incorporate" means is a fact question:

There is a genuine issue of material fact as to the meaning of the Master Plan Permit requirement that future rail plans be “addressed and incorporated,” and there is a dispute as to the contemporaneous intentions of the parties. A factfinder should have the opportunity to ascertain the parties’ understanding of the phrase “addressed and incorporated” in light of the parties’ representations and actions both at the time the Master Plan Permit was granted and after the fact. Given the existence of a genuine dispute of material fact, the circuit court erred in granting the MPSJ, thereby depriving Victoria Ward of the opportunity to have the matter of severance damages decided by a jury.

Slip op. at 21. As the court put it earlier in the opinion:

We hold that, by entering into the Master Plan Permit and Development Agreement, Victoria Ward is obligated to address and incorporate rail. But it is the province of the jury to determine the contours of this obligation and to calculate the amount of severance damages, if any, to which Victoria Ward is entitled.

Slip op. at 14.

Here's the opinion's money quote, in our view:

We acknowledge the factual and legal complexity of this case, and the circuit court’s legitimate concern with narrowing the issues for trial. However, we conclude that in several circumstances, the circuit court incorrectly used summary judgment to resolve disputed factual issues. Most notably, the question of whether Victoria Ward is estopped from seeking severance damages involves disputed questions of fact and should be presented to a jury.

Slip op. at 3.

There's a good lesson here, especially since just compensation is often a very technical issue: judges should not limiting the appraisal theories or imposing their own views of what is the "best" way to value property, and just compensation cases are not subject to any extraordinary "gatekeeping" efforts by trial courts. Apply the usual Rule 56 and evidentiary rules, and you'll be fine.   

City and Cnty. of Honolulu v. Victoria Ward, Ltd., No. SCAP-22-0000335 (Haw. Dec. 29, 2023)

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 choose a la carte - Practice, Substantive, and Condemnation 101:

For over 40 years, we’ve been bringing eminent domain practitioners together to examine the latest issues, engage in healthy debate, and get the information they need to stay current in their practice. This year – our 41st – is THE perfect time to reunite with your eminent domain colleagues. There will be plentiful opportunities to meet and mingle with the faculty and other registrants – throughout the conference and at evening social events. Attendees come back year after year to make new friendships and renew longstanding ones – in a welcoming environment and amongst others who share the same passion for this area of the law.

Please check it out. Over the next couple of weeks we shall bring you details of the various programs.

If you have joined us in the past, you know what a worthwhile conference this is. If this will be your first time, welcome; we hope that you will become a long-term colleague.

Register now, and reserve your spot. In the past few years, we've sold out the hotel block and the Conference seats. So don't miss out!

2024 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference Brochure, Feb. 1-3, 2024, New Orleans,...

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. After all, this is a pretty niche area of law. So what gives?

When we were in Austin earlier this year, we thought it might be nice to try and answer that question. We asked Conference participants why they come, year-after-year (and in Austin, despite massive travel disruptions). Yes, it is the various venues (Nashville, Austin, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, to name a few recent locations), and yes, it is the excellent and useful programming.

But as we suspected it is more than that. As the above video notes, the consistent response from our participants about why the attend is the participants. The faculty and other attendees, the vendors. The collegiality, the chance to renew long-standing friendships, and especially the chance to make new friends and colleagues who share our passion for this area of law. The welcoming environment, and our desire to have lawyers and other professionals new to this area of law or new to the Bar feel at home and welcomed.

I can personally attest to that one, having been welcomed to a Conference long ago by Toby Brigham, who although he was one of the Chairs of the event, made it a point to notice that I was a new attendee, and to introduce me around to the "old hands."

We have also made a big effort in the last few years to include a range of professionals from various perspectives, including lawyers, legal academics, jurists, appraisers and MAIs, planners, right of way and relocation experts, and jury and trial consultants. Family members also welcome (there are a lot of "adjacent" social and networking events, and families are welcome as long as they don't mind a lot of "shop talk"). Our program is a mix of practical and substantive sessions.

We also have a special track on the first day of the Conference designed as a crash course in Eminent Domain law ("Condemnation 101"), which is a good place for an overview and introduction to the practice, or as a refresher course for those with more time under your belt.

In short, we try and make the Conference not just a place to learn the latest in eminent domain and related topics, but somewhere you can return to each year, and feel welcome.

So if you have not attended before, give us a try! We'd love to see you in New Orleans in just a few months. Registration and hotel reservation now open. Sign up now, and don't miss out.

New Article: 2023 National Eminent Domain Update

Thanks to the editors at ALI-CLE's The Practical Real Estate Lawyer for publishing my friend and colleague Amy Boulris and my summary of what we think were the most interesting -- if not the most important -- eminent domain cases over the past year.

And more thanks for allowing us to post it here, ALI-CLE. Full citation: Amy Brigham Boulris & Robert H. Thomas, "2023 National Eminent Domain Update" July 2023 ALI-CLE Prac. Real. Estate Lawyer.

Amy Brigham Boulris & Robert H. Thomas, 2023 National Eminent Domain Update, July 2023 ALI-CLE Prac. Real E...

Mass SJC: Big Dig Can't Squeeze New Easement Into An Old One: Easements Taken By Eminent Domain Are Interpreted Like Every Other Easement

Check out this one from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Smiley First, LLC v. Dep't of Transportation, No. SJC-13300 (May 23, 2023). [But first, a disclosure: our law firm filed this amicus brief in support of the property owner.]

Now that that is out of the way, here's the case.

Back in 1991, MassDOT's predecessor-in-interest took an easement by eminent domain for the relocation of Conrail facilities displaced by the infamous Big Dig project. The 1991 takings order described the easement taken:

"In connection with the laying out of the State highway hereinbefore described, it is necessary to relocate portions of railroad rights of way and land is hereby acquired for said relocation as follows:

"Easements are hereby taken in parcels 60-E-RR-1, 60-E-RR-5, and 60-E-RR-6, shown on the plan hereinafter referred to, for the relocation of facilities of the Consolidated Rail Corporation, including all trees and structures located thereon . . . .

Said easements (i) shall be used for railroad purposes only, (ii) shall not be used for the storage of any hazardous materials, hazardous wastes or hazardous substances other than in connection with the extension of Interstate Route 90 or the reconstruction of Interstate Route 93, and (iii) shall be subject to the rights of the owner of the underlying fee as hereinafter provided. . . .

Slip op. at 5.

Flash forward a few decades and MassDOT wants to use that same easement for "construct[ing] a test track and a 6,000 square foot building for newly purchased subway cars." Slip op. at 2. That, in MassDOT's view, is a "railway purpose," and within the scope of the taken easement. But to the property owner (by now, Smiley), this was a new use of the old easement. So, MassDOT, time to think about buying it, or if we're not willing to sell, then another taking along with just compensation provided. But MassDOT didn't go in that direction, it asserted that the new use was included in the existing 1991 easement, so decided you get nothing. See slip op. at 3 ("Based on its contention that the 2018 taking merely confirmed rights that it already held under the 1991 taking, MassDOT refused to pay Smiley any compensation for the 2018 taking, and this litigation ensued.").

The trial court concluded "that easements taken by eminent domain are not to be construed in favor of the freedom of the land" as in the usual case (where the owner of the servient estate retains all uses not inconsistent with the easement), and consequently entered summary judgment for MassDOT, concluding that a test track is within the scope of the easement for "railroad purposes." Slip op. at 9-10. The trial court held that the usual rule, where the intent of the grantor and grantee control, doesn't work for eminent domain, which is not a voluntary transaction and you can't really drill down and figure out the condemnor's intent. Thus, any rules of construction designed to give effect to the intent of the parties are not helpful.

The SJC reversed, and entered summary judgment for the owner. Yes, intent is not relevant, but the other rules of construction still apply. Slip op. at 11. And the big rule in construing easements is that any doubts about whether a use is included in the easement should be resolved in favor of freedom of land from the servitude. In other words, a narrow construction in favor of the owner of the servient estate (Smiley).

With that rule (re)established, the court concluded that the purpose of the 1991 easement wasn't for general railroad purposes, but for "the laying out of the State highway[,]" and more specifically for relocating Conrail. Slip op. at 12. But what about that "railroad purposes" language? That doesn't help because it is too general, and the specific purpose controls over the general; any railroad use had to be within the scope of laying out the highway and relocating Conrail. 

The more recent easement, by contrast, "exceeds the scope of the 1991 taking" because MassDOT can use the land for testing of rail vehicles and related uses. Slip op. at 16-17. Here's how the court phrased it:

Here, whereas the purpose of the 1991 taking was to relocate railroad rights of way and Conrail's facilities, the 2018 taking provides, "[f]or the avoidance of doubt," that it encompasses the 1991 purpose, but that it also includes "all lawful railroad purposes within the Commonwealth." Specifically, the 2018 taking states that it encompasses, "without limitation," testing, calibration, and storage of any type of railroad vehicle, and the associated uses such as parking that are necessary to those primary uses.

The Red Line test track project, which falls within this language, is a new and different project from the original relocation of Conrail's railroad track and facilities. It involves an additional 6,000 square foot building, a different type of railroad car, and a considerably larger portion of the burdened land than did the single track originally constructed by Conrail pursuant to the 1991 easement.

Slip op. at 17-18.

The SJC rejected each of MassDOT's counterarguments, concluding that "[b]ecause the scope of the 2018 easement exceeded the scope of the 1991 easement, it represented an additional taking. Accordingly, Smiley's claim for damages under G.L. c. 79 should not have been dismissed, and, on remand, Smiley is entitled to pursue its claim for damages." Slip op. at 24.

Smiley First, LLC v. Dep't of Transportation, No. SJC-13300 (Mass. May 23, 2023)

Hawaii Supreme Court To Hear Major Severance Damages Appeal In Rail Takings Cases

Update: the court has rescheduled the arguments to June 22, 2023, at 10 a.m.

The Hawaii Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in an important eminent domain case about severance damages for the Honolulu Rail Authority's condemnation of land in Honolulu for one of its stations (assuming, of course, that the under-construction rail line actually gets past downtown, or simply stops where its historic predecessor, the Oahu Railway terminated more than a century ago).

Here's the details and the court's description of the issues (scroll to the bottom), from the Hawaii Judiciary's web site.

[Barista's note: we won't be commenting on this one in detail, because this was our case when we were in private practice.]

Thursday May 18, 2023 – 10 a.m.

NOS.

SCAP-22-0000335 (Consolidated with Nos. SCAP-22-0000336,
SCAP-22-0000337, SCAP-22-0000338, SCAP-22-0000340,
SCAP-22-0000341, SCAP-22-0000343 SCAP-22-0000344,
SCAP-22-0000345, AND SCAP-22-0000352)

SCAP-22-0000335, SCAP-22-0000336, SCAP-22-0000337,
SCAP-22-0000340, SCAP-22-0000341, SCAP-22-0000343,
SCAP-22-0000344, AND SCAP-22-0000345

CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU, acting by and through the HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION, Plaintiff/
Counterclaim Defendant-Appellee/Cross-Appellant, vs. VICTORIA WARD, LIMITED, a Delaware Corporation; et al., Defendants/Counterclaim Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Appellees, and 1240 ALA MOANA, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; et al., Defendants-Appellants/ Cross-Appellees, and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association; et al., Defendants-Appellees/Cross-Appellees.

SCAP-22-0000338 CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU, acting by and through the HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION, Plaintiff/Counterclaim Defendant-Appellee/Cross-Appellant, vs. VICTORIA WARD, LIMITED, a Delaware Corporation; et al., Defendants/Counterclaim Plaintiffs-Appellants/Cross-Appellees, and 1240 ALA MOANA, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; et al., Defendants-Appellants/ Cross-Appellees, and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association; et al., Defendants-Appellees/Cross-Appellees.

SCAP-22-0000352 CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU, acting by and through the HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION, Plaintiff/Counterclaim Defendant-Appellant, vs. VICTORIA WARD, LIMITED, a Delaware Corporation; et al., Defendants/ Counterclaim Plaintiffs-Appellees, and 1240 ALA MOANA, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; et al., Defendants-Appellees, and WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking association; et al., Defendants-Appellees.

The above-captioned cases have been set for argument on the merits at:

Supreme Court Courtroom
Aliʻiōlani Hale, 2nd Floor
417 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The oral argument will also be livestreamed for public viewing via the Judiciary’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/hawaiicourts.

Attorneys for City and County of Honolulu, acting by and through the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation:

Terence J. O’Toole, Sharon V. Lovejoy, and Lindsay E. Orman, of Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher; Paul S. Aoki, and Rozelle A. Agag, Deputies Corporation Counsel

Attorneys for Victoria Ward, Limited, et al.:

Mark M. Murakami, Gregory W. Kugle, Nicholas K. Ernst, and Clinton K. Hamada of Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert

NOTE: Order Granting Application for Transfer, filed 10/13/22.

NOTE: Certificate of Recusal, by Associate Justice Paula A. Nakayama, filed 4/19/23.

NOTE: Order assigning Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, R. Mark Browning due to recusal and Circuit Court of the First Circuit, Judge James S. Kawashima due to a vacancy, filed 4/19/23.

COURT: Recktenwald, C.J., McKenna, and Eddins, JJ., and Chief Circuit Judge Browning, in place of Nakayama, J., recused, and Circuit Judge Kawashima assigned by reason of vacancy

Brief Description:

These interlocutory appeals arise out of a condemnation action filed in 2018 by HART against Victoria Ward to take several acres of Victoria Ward’s mixed-use development community located in the Kakaʻako neighborhood of Honolulu (Ward Village). The purpose of HART’s taking was to construct a segment of railway and the Kakaʻako Station within Ward Village.

A number of the appeals at issue concern Victoria Ward’s claims for severance damages. The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority (HCDA) issued Victoria Ward a Master Plan Permit in 2009. The Master Plan Permit states, in part: “a more detailed transit route and station location shall be addressed and incorporated.” The parties disagree as to whether this language in the Master Plan Permit, together with Victoria Ward’s conduct, preclude Victoria Ward from recovering severance damages for impacts to non-taken property.

The circuit court issued a number of summary judgment orders precluding Victoria Ward from seeking severance damages. The circuit court also ruled on several related matters, specifying that “blight of summons” interest accrual would be paused during the pendency of the interlocutory appeals, and that Victoria Ward may not recover for loss of a luxury tower that allegedly could have been built on the site of the Kakaʻako station, for relocation of units from that tower to less valuable locations, for severance damages to property stipulated to be distinct from those where condemnations took place, or for replacing lost parking if replacement costs exceed loss in value. HART appeals from other circuit court rulings, including those specifying that some of Victoria Ward’s damages may not be offset by certain alleged “special benefits” flowing from the rail project.

We granted transfer and consolidated HART and Victoria Ward’s appeals for all purposes including oral argument and disposition.

The arguments will be live-streamed if you cannot make it in person to the court.

April 27, 2023, 5-7pm, Honolulu: Join Us To Celebrate The Work And Career Of Professor David Callies

Come join us on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 5-7pm, downtown Honolulu, to celebrate the retirement of Professor David L. Callies from the University of Hawaii Law School.

Join U.H. Law School Dean Camille Nelson, Professor Callies' colleagues, his students (present and former), the Hawaii legal community, and family and friends as we honor 43 years of scholarship, teaching, service, and practice.

Professor Callies is a prolific scholar and author, and has mentored generations of lawyers. Known especially for his work in property, land use, takings, administrative law, and state and local government law, he has also been presented with numerous awards including William and Mary's Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize, and the Owner's Counsel of America's Crystal Eagle. 

Invitation and how to RSVP (or click below). Space is limited, so please let us know you are attending as soon as you can.

Details:

Thursday, April 27, 2023
5:00-7:00 p.m.

Second Floor Gallery
Pauahi Tower
1003 Bishop Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Validated parking: Bishop Square garage (entrance on Alakea Street)

RSVP: [email protected]

See you there!

Professor David Callies - Retirement Celebration Invitation Apr. 27, 2023

Ice Ice Baby: A Report From The 40th ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Feb 1-4, 2023, Austin

We were eagerly anticipating 40th American Law Institute-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference. The 2022 Conference in Scottsdale was one of the first meetings where everyone was back in-person (and was a smashing success), but that conference was early in the game so not everyone could or would attend. But in the past year most of us got back to some semblance of "normal," and the turnout promised to be good.

We had record registrations: with over 300 attendees, faculty, and staff signed up, things were shaping up.

Plus, we were headed to Austin, Texas. The last time we held the Conference there in 2016, we loved it so much it has been in-demand for a return visit. And this year is the debut Conference for some new planning co-chairs for both the main tracks as well as the "Condemnation 101" tracks, so the buzz for the 2023 Austin Conference was building.

But then the weather reminded us that Mother Nature is often the boss. 

Very Icy Austin on Wednesday (Conference Eve).

On Tuesday, one day before the Conference was to get underway, the 2023 Central Texas Ice Storm blew in and things were gonna get (as they say) "challenging."

Austin Airport effectively shut down with few flights in or out. Planes and cancellations stacked up nationwide. And even for those nearby, slick icy roads, and seemingly everything was closed, from gas stations to hotels to restaurants. Widespread power outages. 

Were we ready with Plan B if people couldn't get on-site? Read on.

Unless you are already here or are driving,
you ain't getting to Austin via AUS any time soon, pard.

Even flying from sunny California was a problem.

Ticket agent: Austin flight cancelled. How about flying to Houston and then driving?

Me: Sure, that'll work. Just get me to Texas and I'll figure it out from there.

Improvise, adapt, overcome: planes, trains, and automobiles (and car rentals, and long-distance rideshares, and four-layovers-from-Boise flights). Jacksonville to Austin via Chicago and Nashville.

Although those of us who made it to Austin were receiving widespread reports of people delayed and rerouted, we had only a handful who said they would not be pressing forward to get here. 

When this is what greets you when you arrive
at your conference site...uh oh.

And yes, Austin was cold and icy. Most things shuttered and widespread loss of power. But the Conference venue was up and running, and throughout the day on Wednesday, faculty, staff, and attendees were showing up. Trickling in, but showing up or on the way.

When this is what you see at the United Airlines
luggage counter, you ask yourself:
Can I make my presentation in a t-shirt and sweats? (Yes!)

We had confidence, and were prepared
for everyone to get to Austin.

So the aforementioned Plan B went into effect. Agenda items shuffled from tomorrow to today because the speaker is here, now. One speaker in the room, one speaker remote. Our audience is full of experts ... say, Billy can you pinch-hit on this panel? Sure. One speaker remoting in from his (unexpected) hotel room in Phoenix and presenting, before he went to the airport in the afternoon to continue on to Austin.

And so forth. Our long-time ALI-CLE Program Attorney, Amy Weinberg (who was delayed out of Philadelphia) was working furiously behind the scenes doing a lot of juggling, updating, texting and calling, and making alternative arrangements. And the tech team from ALI-CLE was preparing for overload if needed.

Plan A: continue to set the room up, assuming everyone is here or on the
way, and we'll have most or all of our people in the room.

Our Planning Chairs were ready, even if not
all of us were actually there (yet).

Plan B: the ALI-CLE technical crew was prepared to livestream
and record the Conference if the weather made travel
to Austin impossible or infeasible.

The tech command center.

Before we go on, a big thank you to our generous sponsors.
Without your support, this Conference would not be as
good as it is, year after year.

We're underway, with a pretty good crowd.

Thursday morning, 9:00 a.m., and we're looking not too bad. A fair number of folks have pressed forward despite the weather and travel disruptions and are in the room. More report they are not tapping out, and are pressing onwards.

We have more viewers remote than we originally anticipated, but the tech is holding up.

Over the next couple of days, our lawyers, judges, legal scholars, appraisers, law students, right-of-way agents, relocation experts, property owners, and other related professionals made their way to Austin.

The fact that folks who were experiencing some rather dramatic travel difficulties and delays (ask Jack about his late night Uber from Houston airport to Austin, or how our west coasters got re-routed all over creation), didn't quit but were determined to get to Austin told us something about why this Conference has been so successful over the decades.

It's more than great programming from the nation's experts. The Conference is also an essential venue to get acquainted with new colleagues and welcome them to the Dirt Law Bar, reconnect with long-time friends, and have a bit of fun together.

Most of the Conference attendees eventually made it, and very few (reasonably) threw in the towel and turned around for home. This was the 40th edition of the Conference, and we really know why it is one of the most-established and successful conferences in the ALI-CLE stable of programs. This year's experience really drove home why we come, and why our attendees and faculty are so dedicated and committed, despite the sacrifices we make to attend or to present. 

Hybrid: Pacific Legal Foundation's John Groen
remoting in while en-route via Phoenix, and
Baylor lawprof Jessica Asbridge on
"Everything Old is New Again: Why Today’s Practitioners
Need to Understand the Original Meaning of the
Takings and Just Compensation Clauses."


The "Condemnation 101" track was wildly popular
both with new members of the Eminent Domain Bar,
as well as old hands. Standing room only throughout the day.

We also had reports from the field that the remote viewing
was going well. Here's how we looked in the
mountains of North Carolina.

Let's not forget the substance of the Conference.
Lots of practical learning. Here's Hawaii's Mark Murakami
and Virginia's Steve Clarke on "Avoiding the Real Jeopardy:  
Structuring Eminent Domain Settlements."
And no, two-time Jeopardy! champion Steve did not
give answers in the form of a question.

Weather throughout Wednesday and Thursday was icy and nasty,
but towards the end of Thursday seemed to be clearing up.

Consequently, the view from the podium looked better and better
with more showing up and more reporting they were nearly there.

The programming at the Conference is traditionally
a mix of practical subjects and the more theoretical.
Here's one of the highlight latter programs,
Alan Ackerman (Michigan), Matthew Ackerman (also Michigan),
and Steve Davis (Missouri) on "What Does the Supreme Court
Mean When it Says Just Compensation is “Self-Executing?"

There's an ethics program, naturally, for those of us in jurisdictions
with mandatory CLE requirements. But we try and not do "typical"
(i.e., boring) ethics programs. Here's Sarah Kellner (Colorado) and
Shane Rayman (Ontario, CN) on "Ethics: Building Your Practice
by Mentoring the Next Generation of Eminent Domain Professionals."

An example of our practice-oriented programming: Tony DellaPelle
(New Jersey), Bernadette Duran-Brown (California), 
and Andrew Lines (Illinois) on "Preparing Your Expert
Witness to Shine in Virtual Proceedings:
Tools and Tips For Trial Lawyers." 

Andrew actually pretended he was far, far away for his "deposition"
when he was in fact one floor up from the Conference room.
Way to go all-in.

Thanks to our generous sponsors, we were able to avoid Austin's
icy roads and have our Mickelthwait barbecue
brought in for lunch. Was it well-received? See for yourself. Line
was through the lobby and nearly out the front door.

Thank you to Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock
for speaking on "Developing Property Right Issues in Texas,
Questions and Answers with Justice Jimmy Blacklock"
(interviewed by Justin Hodge (Texas)

It was not an echo-chamber either. Here, in a hotly-debated
session, Jeff Redfern (Virginia), Steve Silva (Nevada), and
Lawprof Emilio Longoria (St Mary's Law, Texas)
debate "When the SWAT Team Comes (No) Knocking:
Police Power Takings."

Jeff, Steve, and Prof Longoria's session got everyone's blood pumping.

It wasn't all serious, and we had a bit of fun.
Like this after-hours live edition of the Eminent Domain & Right of Way
Clubhouse with Beth Smith (Wisconsin), Patrick McAllister (Indiana)
and some dude who was having a post-CLE session beer.

Some of our faculty are more formal and like to speak
standing at the lectern. Here, Pacific Legal Foundation's Jon Houghton
(New Jersey) and Ben Stormes (Montana) on
"Avoiding Pitfalls When Trying a Penn Central Case:
Lessons From the Takings Trenches."

Others are less formal, and speak while sitting
(and wildly gesticulating to make sure you are paying attention).
Kristen Renfro (California), and some guy on
"Your Regulatory Takings Case is in Federal Court – Now What?"

By Friday morning, the Austin weather was looking up. Really up.
And we nearly had everyone in the room.
By hook or by crook, most everyone was there.

By Friday were were pretty much back to normal.
Nearly all faculty and all attendees in the room.
And thus we turned it over to our Saturday morning stalwarts,
starting with Jim Burling, here speaking about "The Many Theories of
Property - Do They Matter in Court?" (and Pufendorf)

No one wanted to miss Michael Berger's "Regulatory Takings Update"
on Saturday morning either.

When you can fill this many seats at a CLE conference on a
Saturday morning after two full days of programming,
you know your speakers are the
right ones (thank you Jim and Michael).

After Jim and Michael did their thing, we held our "National Forum,"
a moderated "open-mic" session where Conference attendees
take to the podium and speak about their case or issue,
or crowdsource a question. Here, Pacific Legal
Foundation's Kady Valois, speaking about
our firm's latest takings cert grant.

We were happy to announce that the 41st ALI-CLE Eminent Domain &
Land Valuation Litigation Conference will be held February 1-3, 2024,
at the JW Marriott in New Orleans.
Save the date!

Ivy Cadle (Georgia - Go Dawgs!) is already planning his trip to
#EminentDomain 2024 in New Orleans.
See you there, Ivy.

With the programming wrapped up, it was time for farewells
and thank yous. Here, four of our law students from William and Mary Law,
who took the time out of their schedules to make their way to
Austin for some real-world learning and networking.
Well done, new colleagues!

Even after the proceedings closed, there was more work to be done.
Here, the ALI-CLE Tech Team breaks it down, after successfully
guiding us through the past four days. They are a large part of the
reason why this Conference works so well (plus, they make the
speakers look really good on camera).

To those who joined us - in-person or on-line, thank you. This conference reminded us of why this program is so successful, and why we all return year-after-year.

To those of you who didn't (or couldn't) join us, here's what you missed. You need to remedy that, and come join us next year in New Orleans...

We'll see you in New Orleans for
#EminentDomain2024!
(Want to keep the conversation going in the
interim? Join the ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conference
page on LinkedIn.)

(Nearly) Last Call: There's Still Time To Join Us For The 40th ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Feb 1-4, Austin

We really want you there...

One (nearly) last reminder that there's still time to register for your space at the 40th ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, February 1-4, 2023, in Austin. In the past several years, we have sold out due to the conference room capacity and the conference hotel block. But there's still space, although we are nearly full. So register now - don't delay any further! 

Here's the brochure with the complete agenda, schedule, and faculty listing. But to tempt you, here are some of the highlights of the program:

• Everything Old is New Again: Why Today’s Practitioners Need to Understand the Original Meaning of the Takings and Just Compensation Clauses
  
• When the SWAT Team Comes (No) Knocking: Police Power Takings

• Private Utility Takeovers – Lessons From a 67 Day Trial

• "Contraband": How Property Rights Helped Pave the Way for Civil Rights

• Valuation Issues When Billboards and Signs are Condemned

• Setting Client Expectations and Identifying Red Flags

• Preparing Your Expert Witness to Shine in Virtual Proceedings: Tools and Tips for Trial Lawyers

• Developing Property Right Issues in Texas - Questions and Answers from the Bench (with Texas Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Blacklock)

• Eminent Domain and Regulatory Takings Updates: Important Decisions You Need to Know

• Ethics: Building Your Practice by Mentoring the Next Generation of Eminent Domain Lawyers

• the Condemnation 101 program (a one-day course for those new to the practice, or for experienced practitioners wanting a refresher)
• ...and much more!

To register, go here.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Austin for the 40th edition of the Conference.

Program Brochure, 40th ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Austin, Texas, Feb 1-...

Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference Wrap-Up

The William and Mary Law School has posted David Morrill's summary of the recent Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference.

In addition to a full day of academic and practicing bar speakers on Friday, and the award banquet on Thursday evening, the Conference included two full days of student-oriented programming earlier in the week, where practicing land use and property rights spoke about their practices, the hot topics in the field, and how they ended up in this practice area. Every session was well attended, as the photos from the events show.

Check it out. And please join us at future Conferences!

Texas: Proposed Bullet Train Is An "Interurban Electric Railway" And May Exercise Eminent Domain (At Least It Isn't A Fish)

Here's the latest in a case we've been following.

Now before you get all worked up about the Texas Supreme Court agreeing that the private company proposing to build a bullet train between Dallas and Houston may exercise the sovereign power of eminent domain (see Miles v. Texas Central RR & Infrastructure, Inc., No. 20-0393 (June 24, 2022), remember that this is a case involving only the construction of Texas statutes. Not the court deciding whether the state's delegation of eminent domain power conforms to some constitutional public use standard. 

That being said, the opinion may have limited reach (thank goodness) but is still worth reviewing for those of you not in Texas.

Property owners objected to the company taking their property, arguing that it did not qualify under Texas statutes delegating the state's eminent domain power to a "railroad" and to "interurban electric railways." This thing may call itself a train, but to the property owners, it didn't look like a train. And simply calling yourself a train doesn't cut it. As the opinion noted:

• Texas Central Railroad did not own any railroad tracks;
• Texas Central Railroad did not own any rolling stock (trains);
• Texas Central Railroad had not constructed any train stations;
• Texas Central Railroad had secured only a small fraction of the necessary financing for the project; and
• Texas Logistics had no employees, officers, or office space independent of Texas Central Railroad.

Slip op. at 6.

The Supreme Court rejected the owners' two main arguments. First, you don't need to be actually operating a railroad in order to meet the statutory definition of "railroad." Lack of tracks and trains doesn't disqualify a company from operating a railroad.

Second, just because this type of electric bullet train was probably not in the minds of Texas legislators back when the statute was adopted when electric streetcars were high-tech (1907), the plain language of the statute encompassed this company: "corporation[s] chartered for the purpose of constructing, acquiring, maintaining, or operating lines of electric railway between municipalities in this state for the transportation of . . . passengers."

The majority also rejected the argument that qualifying under the statutory definition wasn't enough, that there must be some reasonable probability that an interurban railway company will actually build an interurban railway:

While both the Texas Constitution and our precedent preclude an entity from obtaining condemnation authority by checking a box, they do not support the reasonable-probability-of-completion test Miles proposes, which would constitute an unwarranted sea change in eminent-domain law with far-reaching consequences.

We agree with Miles that, under Denbury I, the Texas Central Entities do not qualify as interurban electric railway companies with associated eminent-domain authority merely by claiming as much in their charters, the equivalent of “checking a box.” However, there is no dispute that the Texas Central Entities (1) were actually chartered for the statutorily authorized purpose of “constructing, acquiring, maintaining, or operating lines of electric railway between municipalities in this state for the transportation of freight, passengers, or both freight and passengers,” TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 131.012; and (2) are engaged in activities in furtherance of that purpose. Nor is there any question that the proposed railway is for “public use.” See TEX. CONST. art. X, § 2 (“Railroads heretofore constructed or which may hereafter be constructed in this state are hereby declared public highways, and railroad companies, common carriers.”); see also West v. Whitehead, 238 S.W. 976, 978 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1922, writ ref’d) (“If a railroad invoking the power of eminent domain is to be a highway, or a common carrier, and open to the promiscuous and uniform use of the public, such facts conclusively make it a public use . . . .”). Miles’s argument that the Texas Central Entities must further show a reasonable probability that the railway will be successfully completed finds no support in Denbury or the Constitution.

Slip op. at 23, 24-25 (footnote omitted).

So this is a train. At least it isn't a fish.

More on the case here, including links to the multiple dissents, concurring opinions, briefs, and arguments.

Now that it has legal clearance, will the project move forward? We shall see.

Miles v. Texas Central RR & Infrastructure, Inc., No. 20-0393 (Tex. June 24, 2022)

Hawaii Land Use Law Conference, May 25-26, 2022, Honolulu - Join Us!

It's back! After a hiatus on the in-person program, the bi-annual Hawaii Land Use Conference is back in-person (see here for a sample of one of our prior presentations at this conference).

May 25 and 26, 2022, downtown Honolulu.

The full agenda and speaker list has not yet been published, but here's a summary of the program:

Sponsored by the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Real Property and Financial Services Section. Coordinated by David Callies and Benjamin Kudo, his 2-day conference is a must attend for any attorney or professional whose practice involves land use and development. Distinguished land-use practitioners, scholars, planners, and regulators from Hawaii and the Mainland will discuss timely and relevant issues, including:

• Takings 

• Transit Oriented Development (TOD) 

• Seawalls and Shoreline Access 

• Climate Change 

• Affordable/Workforce Housing 

• Ethical Considerations for Real Property Practitioners and Other Professionals

We'll be speaking during the session on Takings, along with our colleagues Greg Kugle, Brad Saito, and Ellen Ashford.

Register here (limited to 70 registrants, no walk-ins, so be sure to get your spot now). Travel to and from Hawaii is back open and no more Co-19 hassles at the airport, so take advantage of the opportunity for a little R&R and CLE. 

As Jack Lord would say, "be there, aloha!"

2022 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Scottsdale: You Should Have Been There!

After a two-year absence in which we went remote, in the last week of last month (our usual spot on the calendar, between the playoffs and Super Bowl), we once again met in-person for the American Law Institute-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference.

Approximately 200 lawyers, judges, legal scholars, appraisers, law students, right-of-way agents, relocation experts, property owners, and other related professionals gathered in-person--yes, in-person--at the Scottsdale (Arizona) Resort at McCormick Ranch, to get reacquainted, learn stuff, and renew ties last made in-person in Nashville in 2020. In addition to the live attendance, we also welcomed about 50 remote colleagues, who joined the live webstream.

This was the 39th edition of the Conference, one of the most-established and successful conferences in the ALI-CLE stable of programs.

To those who joined us - thank you. This conference reminded us of why this program is so successful, and why we all return year-after-year.

To those of you who didn't (or couldn't) join us, here's what you missed. You need to remedy that, and come join us next year...

Our 2022 Proof of Life Photo.

Every year, as we open the program, I take to the lectern for what I call my "proof of life" photo. Our Conference ends up in some really fun, exciting places. Nashville. Palm Springs. San Diego. Austin. San Francisco. Charleston. And I want to prove to the folks back in the office that yes, we really are in the room, learning stuff. And not out enjoying all that our venues have to offer (we save that for after-hours).

In this photo, we're in the room, spread out (the Resort put us in its massive ballroom, so we had room to spare).

Thank you to our sponsors. Without your generosity, the Conference would not be as good as it is.

Lawprof Karen Bradshaw presented our keynote address on Friday, "Do Animals Have Property Rights?" with more from her recent book "Wildlife as Property Owners." Her talk was followed by a book signing, too. Interesting stuff for sure.

Our main room was nicely filled for every program. A real testament to the subjects discussed, and the quality of the faculty.

The program includes a mix of practice and substantive topics. Here, Virginia's Steve Clarke in one of the breakout rooms (also nicely filled), presenting on "Federal Court and the Daubert Challenge – How To Prepare."

But it wasn't all eminent domain, property, and CLE credits. Naturally, with the beautiful Arizona winter weather, we found time to get out-of-doors and do things. Like this intra-firm golf tournament.

Which firm prevailed? You'll have to ask them who has the bragging rights.

What was especially nice was that our sponsor tables and the ALI-CLE registration table could be outside of the presentation rooms. Love that AZ weather.

New Jersey's Tony Della Pelle and Connecticut's Dwight Merriam on "COVID-19 Takings."

Our faculty includes not only lawyers and law professors. We also have other industry professionals come and present. Here, Washington's Martyn Daniel, Texas' Kristen Bennett, and (lawyer) Alan Ackerman from Michigan speaking about "Maximizing Relocation Benefits: Understanding the Law and Regulations to Ensure Fairness."

Ah, ethics. A tough subject to cover. Especially at 8am. But Georgia's Ivy Cadle (with the obligatory "go dawgs!"), Michigan's Darius Dynkowski, and (off-screen) Virginia's Kelly Sheeran and Texas' Justin Hodge filled the room with "Ethics Jeopardy! Live."

Yeah, Justin really did go for the end zone for his role as Ethics Jeopardy! host.

We understood the situation. Our faculty, staff, and attendees came to Arizona from around the nation. Some places have opened up, others are still getting there. We minimized any risks. Spread out in a huge room, and everyone was pretty cool with the modest requirements from ALI-CLE. What was especially good was that nearly every event but the actual programming were outside. 

Another featured panel was on the Supreme Court's big decision in Cedar Point Nursery. We brought together three expert perspectives on the case and what it means for the future. "Did the Supreme Court Signal a New Direction for Property Rights in Cedar Point Nursery?" featured California's Joshua Thompson (prevailing counsel in the case), U. Virginia lawprof Julia Mahoney, and (off-camera, since he remoted in) Maryland's Matthew Littleton, who filed a government-side amicus brief in the case.

Also pictured: the moderator, some guy who writes a blog.

Colorado's Katie Gray and Nebraska's Bill Blake on "Project Abandonment: How to Position Your Client for the Fallout When Projects Don't Get Built." Really useful.

Tag swag (aka badge flair) courtesy of our Platinum sponsor.

Our two fave tags.

Outdoors at night - really nice under the lights by the fire, after a long day of CLE programming.

Hawaii's Mark Murakami teamed with Wisconsin's Smitha Chintamaneni for "Why Jurisdictional Offers Must Include an Assessment of Severance Damages."

Even our final programs each day attracted a substantial crowd, often tough to do after long days of sitting in class. A testament to the strength of the faculty and the topics. Here's the audience for "Defending the Appraisal in the Courtroom - The Insider's View."

We put speakers with competing views on these panels, to get the blood pumping and keep everyone's attention.

Saturday morning, after two full days of (great) programming, is still a tough spot for a speaker, because they have to keep us focused, and interested.

That's why we always reserve these spots for two old hands, who will keep us zeroed in. Above is California's Jim Burling, with a tour-de-force solo hour on "What Are the Top 20 Ways to Increase the Cost of Housing? The Answer May Surprise You!"

Below, Michael Berger (looking a bit like Big Brother, admittedly), who remoted in from California with his annual "Regulatory Takings Update."

Feral cats and property rights had us smiling (ask Michael about what this refers to).

Michael Berger is Watching You.

A group photo of the William and Mary Law School contingent at the Conference (minus two other WM Law colleagues who could not be there for the photo). Recent and long-time alumni, current law students, a law prof, and (fourth from left) Jim Burling who later this year will be awarded WM Law's Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize at the B-K Conference in September 2022.

A pretty good showing for the alma mater.

There was a whole lot of podcasting going on. Thanks, Infrastructure Junkies and Eminent Domain Podcast. Can't wait for the episodes you recorded.

Again, thank you sponsors!

What about next year? Usually, on the last day of a Conference, we announce the dates and the venue for the following year. This year, due to some slowdowns, ALI-CLE couldn't quite get all the requirements in place to make a formal, official announcement. As soon as we know the venue, we'll go loud here.

As for the date: same date as usual - last week of January or first week of February, depending on the football schedule (which we're trying to avoid).

Stay tuned.

 

The Circle Is Now Complete: A Sampling Of Final Paper Topics From William and Mary Law's Eminent Domain & Property Rights, And Land Use Courses

If you ever get the opportunity to teach in a law school -- either as a full-time legal scholar, or part-time as an expert adjunct practitioner -- take it if you can. You might think you know a lot about a particular subject, but there's nothing like spending time at the lectern in a law classroom in front of sharp and eager lawyers-in-training to sharpen your thoughts, and get you to truly understand a subject.

And folks calling you "professor" can evoke a smile.

But if there's one downside to the law school experience from the teacher's side of the lectern, it's grading. Especially at a law school like William and Mary that has a pretty strict mandatory curve. In upper-division courses that we handle like Eminent Domain and Property Rights Law and Land Use -- where we're dealing with some very high-level stuff and the quality of the students is uniformly high -- that makes for some hard choices at this time of year. Despite these challenges, we've wrapped up grading for the Fall 2021 Semester, and have submitted the official scores.

Although I cannot share with you the students' final papers in these classes, I don't think they would mind if I give you a sampling of the topics and titles, just so you can see how the next generation of lawyers is thinking about property, property rights, takings, land use, and environmental law (inter alia). 

Check out these titles:

• The Many Saints of Land Use Law
• The Past, Present, and Future of Richmond Affordable Housing
• What's on the Menu? - The Future of Outdoor Dining and the Tension Between Land Use and Public Health
• Could Monetary Compensation Fully Indemnify Property Owners for Idiosyncratic Values in Takings Cases?
• The Lingering Effects of the Dawes Act on Tribal Land Use
• The Dawn of Debt and Everything Else: An Examination of the Works of Michael Graeber and the Role of Eminent Domain and Property Rights
• Inflation for Land Use Control
• Agritourism in Wine Country: Analysis of Accessory Uses in Napa Valley
• Judicial Exaction of Euclidean Deference Under Koontz
• A Review of Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
• What’s on the Inside Counts: Why Historical Preservation Regulations Should be Allowed to Regulate Interior Landmarks and the Issue of Public Access
• Through the Buchanan Lens: Reframing Virginia Land Use Laws
• The Case for Equal Application of RLUIPA’s Equal Terms Provision
• The Government Giveth, and the Government Taketh Away: Retroactive Application of Inter Partes Review Under the Takings Clause
• The Right to Share: Is Virginia Beach’s Regulation of Short Term Rentals a Taking under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment?
• The laws of nature do not recognize property rights, complicating the Commonwealth of Virginia’s adaptation to climate change
• Looking at Viniculture Through the Glass of Historic Preservation Law, or
  A Brief Wine Advocate
• Is the New York State Canal Corporation the Onceler of Upstate New York?: An Analysis of Town of Pittsford v. Power Authority of New York
• Law and Ownership as Evolving Stories: A Review of Mine!
• Incentive Zoning in New York
• The Tide is High but Norfolk's Holding on: An Analysis of Norfolk's Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and a Review of the Potential Claims in Response
• Flipping the Play: How Localities Can Use the Power of Eminent Domain to Seize Sports Franchises and Finally Stick it to Bob Irsay
• Land Use Control – Is it Important to the Average Joe?
• Re-Evaluating Bennis and Civil Forfeitures Under the Takings Clause
• The Guardian of Every Other Right - A Constitutional History of Property Rights and a Discussion on Tariffs, Redistributionism, and Capitalist Liberty
• Pipelines and Eminent Domain: A Constitutional and Environmental Analysis of Energy Takings
• Paradise Stolen: An Ethical Reexamination of Property Deprivation and the Plight of the Atakapa-Ishak Peoples of Louisiana’s Grand Bayou Indian Village
• A Flood of Pollutants: The Promises and Perils of a Regulatory-Takings Approach to the Right to a Clean Environment

And this is only a sampling.

I don't know about you, but I feel pretty good about this. I will be encouraging several of them to consider beefing up their papers and submitting them for publication.

Texas AG: Saying You're Working On The Railroad Isn't Enough To Actually Be Operating A Railroad, Bullet Train

Here's the State of Texas's amicus brief in support of the property owners in the case now pending in the Texas Supreme Court about whether the developer of the proposed Dallas-Houston "bullet train" may exercise the delegated power of eminent domain as a "railroad company" or an "interurban electric railway company" as those terms are defined by Texas statutes.

The brief argues that no, this private entity isn't a railroad company because that definition requires that the rail be presently operating, and this outfit isn't. The AG also argues that the company doesn't qualify as an interurban electric railroad because a bullet train isn't a "small, localized, interurban railway expressly contemplated by statute." Br. at 14.

And in what is to us the most interesting part of the brief, Texas also argues that an exercise of eminent domain power by this private entity would run afoul of the state constitutional requirements set out in Denbury Green Pipeline-Tex., LLC v. Tex. Rice Land Partners, Ltd., 510 S.W.3d 909 (Tex. 2017), and that a private entity cannot employ the power unless there's a reasonable probability that it will actually operate a railroad in the future. Thus, it isn't enough that the company describes itself as a railroad. Here, the brief argues, the evidence shows only that the company eventually operating a railroad is "a possibility, and not a reasonable probability." Br. at 37.

Denbury’s reasonable-probability rule for meeting statutory requirements “safeguards” a core concern of Texas Constitution article I, section 17: there can be no taking of private property by private corporations unless the taking will serve a public purpose. Id. at 194–95; see Tex. Const. art. I, § 17 (stating “[n]o person’s property shall be taken, damaged, or destroyed for or applied to public use without adequate compensation being made”). “It is fundamental that a person’s property can-not be taken for the benefit of another without a justifying public purpose.” Coastal States, 309 S.W.2d at 833 (citing Marrs v. R.R. Comm’n, 177 S.W.2d 941, 949 (Tex. 1944)). The public is protected if the private entity seeking to condemn land to build a railroad line first demonstrates that it is reasonably probable the entity will ultimately become an operator of a railroad or interurban that will serve the public after the railroad or electric-railway line is constructed.

Otherwise, a private entity that condemns land for use in constructing a railroad line but that does not ultimately become an operator of a railroad or electric railway after completing the project ill-serves the public interest, in violation of the Texas Constitution. That is because the private entity will escape accountability to the public, not to mention private landowners whose property is condemned, if the private entity is not the operator of the proposed railroad or electric railway.

Br. at 38.

Check out the entire brief. It's not often that we see a government come in on the side of the property owner. Welcome back to the fight, State of Texas.

More here ("In Texas Supreme Court case, state argues that Dallas-Houston bullet train developer can’t use eminent domain") from the Texas Tribune.

Brief for the State of Texas as Amicus Curiae, Miles v. Texas Central RR & Infrastructure, Inc., No. 20-039...

Shane Rayman On Expropriation And Compensation In Canada

You probably already know our Toronto friend and colleague Shane Rayman. He's the lawyer responsible for the fascinating Supreme Court (Canada, naturally) decision in Antrim Truck Centre, wherein the Court recognized that under the Expropriation Act, Ontario had an obligation to compensate a property owner for "injurious affection" even though the highway project did not formally expropriate any part of the owner's truck stop.

Shane is also a regular guest lecturer at our William and Mary Law School Eminent Domain and Property Rights class (where he speaks on comparative property rights), and has been a faculty member at the ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference. He also recommended we visit Montreal's Mirabel Airport (a trip only a true dirt lawyer could love).

To catch up on the latest from Shane, check out this Canadian Lawyer story, "Expropriation expands with more infrastructure projects," in which he discusses the issues involved in the taking of property for Metrolinx.

Much of this will be familiar to U.S. eminent domain lawyers. But some will not. Injurious affection, for example ("any reduction in the land value of the remaining (non-expropriated) land caused by the expropriation and associated works"), disturbance damages ("damages relating to a business, including any out-of-pocket costs, business losses, relocation expenses or any consequential losses arising from the expropriation"), and "reasonable legal costs to the owner."

Check it out here.

Registration Open Now: ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Jan 26-29, 2022, Scottsdale

All the topics you want to know about, presented by top-notch faculty from across the nation. Sessions include:

• Keynote: Do Animals Have Property Rights?
• Did the Supreme Court Signal a New Direction in Property Rights in Cedar Point Nursery?
• Maximizing Relocation Benefits: Understanding the Law and Regulations to Ensure Fairness
• Challenging Public Use: Lessons From a 67-Day Trial
• COVID Takings
• Property Rights as Civil Rights
• Eminent Domain National Update
• Federal Court and the Daubert Challenge: How to Prepare
• How to Position Your Client for the Fallout When Projects Don't Get Built
• Rural Broadband and the Emerging Constitutional Challenges
• Are Precondemnation Entry Statutes Still Valid After Cedar Point Nursery?
• How Condemnor and Property Owners' Counsel Prepare the Battlefield
• How Will the Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Bill Impact Your Practice?
• Ethics
• ...and more, including a full slate of networking and social events!

We've sold out the last few years, so don't miss out. Room block now taking reservations. Registration and agenda information here.

Join us in Scottsdale in January!

Join Us For The 39th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Jan 26-29, 2022 (Scottsdale, AZ)

All the topics you want to know about, presented by top-notch faculty from across the nation. Sessions include:

• Property Rights as Civil Rights
• Eminent Domain National Update
• Just Relocation: Understanding the Law and Regulations to Ensure Fairness
• Challenging Public Use: Lessons From a 67-Day Trial
• COVID Takings
• Federal Court and the Daubert Challenge: How to Prepare
• Did the Supreme Court Signal a New Direction in Property Rights in Cedar Point Nursery?
• How to Position Your Client for the Fallout When Projects Don't Get Built
• Rural Broadband and the Emerging Constitutional Challenges
• Are Precondemnation Entry Statutes Still Valid After Cedar Point Nursery?
• How Condemnor and Property Owners' Counsel Prepare the Battlefield
• How Will the Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Bill Impact Your Practice?
• Ethics
• ...and more, including a full slate of networking and social events!

We've sold out the last few years, so don't miss out. Room block now taking reservations. Registration and agenda information here.

Join us in Scottsdale in January!

Your 2021 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (Jan 28-29, Remote) BINGO Card

If you "get" this, you should be registered for the 38th Annual Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, to be held remotely on Thursday and Friday, January 28-29, 2021.

The list is growing rapidly, and you need to join us!

This is the "big one" where the nation's best practitioners, scholars, jurists, and other industry professionals gather to talk shop about the subjects we know and love. We're having programs with intriguing subjects such as "Planning to Win: Practical Strategies for a Successful Inverse Condemnation Case," "How Do I Keep My Firm’s Doors Open When the Courthouse Doors Are Closed? Making Your Practice More Efficient When You Can’t Try Cases," "Where Is the Supreme Court Headed on Takings Cases? Regulatory Takings Update and Cedar Point Preview," "No Show and All Tell: Breaking News in Property Rights and Takings," "More Than the Fifth Amendment: Other Tools for Upholding Property Rights," and "Evaluating Lockdown, Moratorium, and Emergency Claims."

Details here (ALI-CLE's page with faculty, agenda, and times), or here (the latest episode of Clint Schumacher's Eminent Domain Podcast, where we preview the Conference). Here's your chance to be a part of what is the best conference on these topics.

Always wanted to join in, but didn't like the travel? Here's your chance to try us out with reduced tuition. A long-timer coming back? Look for the special deal which includes a discount on the 2022 conference.

Eminent Domain Podcast's Preview Of The Upcoming ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference

Our thanks to Clint Schumacher for having us on his program to talk about the upcoming Conference. We're "remote" this year, but that means a different approach to our presentations (and a very modest tuition!).

We're having programs with intriguing subjects such as "Planning to Win: Practical Strategies for a Successful Inverse Condemnation Case," "How Do I Keep My Firm’s Doors Open When the Courthouse Doors Are Closed? Making Your Practice More Efficient When You Can’t Try Cases," "Where Is the Supreme Court Headed on Takings Cases? Regulatory Takings Update and Cedar Point Preview," "No Show and All Tell: Breaking News in Property Rights and Takings," "More Than the Fifth Amendment: Other Tools for Upholding Property Rights," "Evaluating Lockdown, Moratorium, and Emergency Claims," and more (including Ethics for those of you in MCLE jurisdictions). We'll have a post with more details. 

Register now!

Your 2020 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference Bingo Card

Breaking: News About The 2021 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (Jan. 28-29, 2021)

News just in: we've just received confirmation that the Conference will not be in-person in Scottsdale in January 2021, and we're going online.

Not a big surprise, but still a bit disappointing, and it's a shame that the circumstances won’t allow us to meet in-person to talk shop and to renew our friendships like we do every year. 

But rest assured we're making lemonade out of these lemons, and we'd appreciate everyone holding the dates on your calendars to join your colleagues from across the nation for the online Conference. And no, we're not going to do two-and-a-half-days remotely, we're paring down the agenda and will be focusing on hot topics, and great presenters. The remote format has some advantages, and we’re taking advantage of the circumstances to plan a conference more interactive and a bit different than usual.

This will also be a great program for first-time Conference participants. If you haven't taken the dive and joined us in the past because you could not spend the time away or the costs of attending in-person kept you away, this will be your chance to see what we're all about and get a taste of what you've been missing, so you can join us when we reconvene in-person in 2022. 

Stay tuned for more details, to be released shortly! 

Private Condemnor: We're A "Railroad" Because We Promise To Be A Railroad In The Future

Texas Court of Appeals in Texas Central RR & Infrastructure, Inc. v. Miles, No. 13-19-000297 (May 7, 2020): sounds good.

We were going to write up this case, when Tiffany Dowell Lashmet (author of the fabulous Texas Agricultural Law Blog) posted her analysis: "Appellate Court Finds High-Speed Rail Meets Required Definitions for Eminent Domain Authority."

We can't add much to her excellent write-up, so we will simply recommend you read it.

More from the Dallas Morning News: "Texas bullet train inches another step closer to reality." And from Engineering News-Record: "Court Ruling Elevates Eminent Domain Battle on $20B Texas Rail Project."

Texas Central RR & Infrastructure, Inc. v. Miles, No. 13-19-00297-CV (Tex. App. May 7, 2020)

Unboxing The 2021 (Scottsdale) ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conference Swag: Get Yours Today!

Missed out on the 2021 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference swag?

Well fear not: here's your chance to get your high-class reminder -- a kit of road warrior essentials -- to save the Conference date on your calendar. We're already underway with planning the agenda and faculty, so it's never too soon to block it off (January 28-30, 2021, at the 4-Diamond DoubleTree Resort, Scottsdale, Arizona). 

If you were not able to get your swag in Nashville, send us a note ([email protected]) and we shall gladly drop one or two in the mail to you.

While supplies last!  

(Nearly) Last Chance To Join Us In Nashville For ALI-CLE's Eminent Domain Conference

You can also fly, drive, or bike to the upcoming 37th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference. in Nashville. Limited space still available, so don't delay further and register now. We're on track to record attendance, so you don't want to miss the best nationally-focused three-day program on our area of law.

Takings, Knick, compensation, appraisals ... and a bit of fun thrown in. We have many new attendees, and many new speakers, too.  

Space Still Available For ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conference, Nashville Jan 23-25, 2020

If you get this, you need to attend the 37th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference, January 23-25, 2020, in Nashville.

And if you don't get this, you need to attend more. 

Register here. 

What's At 712 4th Street, S.W., Washington DC? Your Invite To The 2020 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conference (Jan 23-25, Nashville)

Don't Miss Out: Join The "Big Guns" And Secure Your Space At ALI-CLE's Upcoming Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (Jan 23-25, 2020, Nashville)

We were not as creative as our colleague Paul Henry (see below), but our Planning Co-Chair Joe Waldo and I wanted to personally invite you to join the "big guns" in our area of law at the 37th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference, January 23-25, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee.

We've assembled an excellent faculty, and an agenda that covers the hot topics of the day. Go here to view the complete faculty list and agenda. Water rights, Knick, appraisal, ethics, civil rights, and a whole lot more in three days of the longest (and we think best) conference in our area of law. Also, for those new to the field, Andy Brigham and Jack Sperber are again leading their "Eminent Domain 101" program. A great way to learn the topic, or for experienced lawyers to get a quick refresher on the basics. Your registration allows free movement between all sessions and all tracks, so you can choose your menu ala carte.  

Of course, we're doing more than simply "talking shop," and we shall have our usual full slate of networking events, thanks to some very generous sponsors. Our faculty and attendees are well-known for being some of the friendliest and most welcoming in the business. And this is Nashville, and all that entails.

Register now. Spaces are already filling up. We are already at 25% higher registrations than at this point last year for the 2019 Palm Springs conference. The past few years have either sold out or come close, and the hotel block isn't unlimited. We want you with us, so sign up now!

Register Now! ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference (Nashville, Jan 23-25, 2020)

Registration underway, so come join us! Agenda full of hot topics in takings and appraisal law! The best national faculty! Renew friendships, and make new colleagues! And Nashville! 

Download the brochure and make your plans for January. (Don't wait, we've sold out the past three years.)

Video: HSBA Real Property Section's Annual Litigation Update

For those of you who could not be in the room for the recent Litigation Update sponsored by the Hawaii State Bar Association's Real Property and Financial Services Section, at which our partners Greg Kugle and Mark M. Murakami spoke (moderated by UH lawprof David Callies), here's the video.

Greg and Mark do this every year, and cover the significant decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Hawaii appellate courts that every property lawyers needs to know. A very good way to download all the information without having to digest each decision yourself.

Check it out. 

Here's The Agenda And Faculty For The 2020 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Nashville, Jan 23-25, 2020

You overwhelmingly asked for Nashville, and we're bringing it to you!

Get ready, and hold your place now: here's the list of programs and speakers for the 36th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference, to be held at the Downtown Nashville Hilton, January 23,- 25, 2020. Two-and-a-half days with top-notch national faculty (lawyers from both sides, judges, legal scholars, appraisers, relocation experts, and others).  

Early registration and group rates are available now. 

Here are just some of the programs:

• Featured Presentation: Property Rights as Civil Rights: Seeking Justice Though the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Hon. Jonathan Apgar, Jamila Johnson, Alan Ackerman. Moderator: Leslie Fields.
• Making Sense of the New Rules After Knick v. Township of Scott: Where Do I Go, What Do I Do? David Breemer, Smitha Chintamaneni, Professor Bethany Berger. Moderator: Professor Steven Eagle.
• When A River Runs Thought It: Water Rights and Takings. Nancie Marzulla, Hertha Lund, and Charles McFarland. 
• Passive Takings by Government Inaction. Professor Christopher Serkin.
• Show, Don't Tell: The Dos and Don'ts of Demonstrative Evidence. John Murphy, Jeffrey Hamill.
• Is Close Enough Good Enough? Establishing the Date of Valuation in Direct and Inverse Cases. Neil Olson, Bill Ryan.
• Creative Approaches to Solving Difficult Appraisal Problems, Edward Burg, Bob Grace, MAI, Michael Rikon. Moderator: Joseph Waldo. 
• All You Need is Love: New Frontiers in Alternative Dispute Resolution in Eminent Domain. Cortney Young, Dwight Merriam.
• Road Warriors: Building and Trying an Eminent Domain Case From Your Laptop. Paul Henry, Jody McSpadden.
• Special Benefits: The Givings Clause? Heather Cunningham, Randy Smith.
• How To Try and Settle Pipeline Cases. Thomas Peebles, Melissa Glassman.
• Going Where No Court Has Gone Before: The Tension Between the Courts and Appraisal Methodology. Kevin Walsh, Kannon Conway. 
• Responding to Project Changes: Valuing a Taking When Government Action Changes or is Ongoing. Meghan Largent, W. Andrew Gowder. 
• Responding to the Abuse of Motions in Limine. Anthony Della Pelle, Williams James (invited)

There's also an Ethics program. For that, we are doing something a little different this year, with a special don't-miss presentation, "Surviving the Daily Fistfight: Finding Your Resilience When Every Day is a Battle" with Clint Schumacher, Christian Torgrimson, and Michael Ryan. 

And for those new to the field, or old hands who would like a refresher course, there's the "101" track on Thursday, going through an eminent domain case from A to Z. 

And this isn't the complete list, and there's more on relocation, regulatory takings from both sides of the case, effective strategies to determine unity of lands, fixtures, national updates for eminent domain and regulatory takings, and the "open mike" National Forum (where practitioners from around the nation share their issues and cases).

Look for the complete brochure shortly on the Conference web page on the ALI-CLE site.

And of course, there's Nashville. We're right around the corner from all that the town has to offer. Music City, USA. Hot chicken. The Grand Ole Opry. Country Music Hall of Fame. The Hermitage. 

So make your flight and hotel reservations now. Don't miss out. The attendance at the last several conferences has been record-setting, and the conference block at the hotel has sold out.

Join us - old friends and new colleagues! 

Get Ready: The 2020 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference Agenda Coming Soon

The final agenda and faculty list will soon be officially published, but we wanted to give you a preview of what is in store at the ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference, January 23-25, 2020, at the Nashville Hilton (downtown, just a few steps away from everything that Nashville has to offer). 

Don't miss out: in recent years, we've been at-or-near capacity, and the conference hotel has even sold out a couple of times. Visit the ALI-CLE website to register and hold your space. 

Here are some of the things we'll be discussing: 

• Making Sense of the New Rules After Knick v. Township of Scott: Where Do I Go, What Do I Do?
• The Missing Link in Valuing Fixtures
• When a River Runs Through it: Water Rights and Takings
• Responding to Project Changes: Valuation When Government Action is Ongoing
• Property Rights as Civil Rights: Seeking Justice Through The Fifth Amendment
• Special Benefits: The Givings Clause?
• How To Try and Settle Pipeline Cases
• And, of course Ethics. 

Many of our expert faculty are returning, but we're also featuring many new presenters who have never been on our dais before. And a mix of perspectives and backgrounds: property owners' counsel, condemning agency lawyers, public interest, judges, and legal scholars. Plus a chance to meet your colleagues from across the country. Make connections, and see old friends. 

Early bird registration underway here. See you there. 

Capt Henry Orders You To Boldly Go To The 2020 ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Nashville, Jan. 23-25, 2020

Recently, we requested crowdsourcing of this year's "come to the ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conference video." Instead of doing the video ourselves, we asked folks to "please send a short clip of you and/or your colleagues telling us why you think the Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference is the place to be in January. Humor welcome, but not required."

Our friend and colleague, St. Louis' Paul Henry, has answered the call, admirably. Paul, as you may remember, is famous for his presentation a couple of years ago at the Conference about "Everything About Eminent Domain I Need To Know I Learned From Star Trek." Which he gave in a Starfleet captain's uniform. Brave man. Readers know that we dig Star Trek. But we are not that brave, so bravo, Paul.  

See if you don't agree that Paul has now raised the video bar. 

For the rest of you: the challenge has been thrown down, so its time to step up. Send yours, now. 

Get Ready - ALI-CLE Eminent Domain And Land Valuation Litigation Conference, Nashville Jan. 23-25, 2020

Details soon. In the meantime, get your earlier registration discount.

Links From Today's Portland Eminent Domain Conference

Here are the links to the cases which were not in your materials. Theme of the day: amateurs! 

Our thanks to colleagues Jill Gelineau and Paul Sundermier for asking us to present. It was good to see our Oregon friends again. 

• All Your Race Are Belong To Us: Baltimore Is Taking The Preakness Stakes (We're Serious)
• Ninth Circuit Denies En Banc Review In Case Upholding "Core" and "Fundamental" Property Rights, But Two Trump Judges Dissent
• Say What? Montana Supreme Court: Gov't Occupying Property Under Claim Of Right Is Only A Tort, Not A Taking; Tort vs "taking" - Montana, California (wildfire liability)
• Shaka, When The Walls Fell: Yes, Knick Will Be About Takings, But It Will Be More About Federalism
• Cert Denied In Immediate-Possession-By-Injunction Case (But There's One More In The Pipeline)
• Frozen: "Necessity" In Eminent Domain Can Mean Mere Convenience (Or Anything Else The Condemnor Says)
• New Cert Petition: Fifth Amendment Requires California To Spread The Cost Of Wildfire Inverse Condemnations To Ratepayers
• How Is "The Public" Defined When It Comes To Special Damages?
• Ninth Circuit: Inverse Condemnation Plaintiff Must "Share The Pain" - City Can Shed Obligation To Pay Just Compensation In Bankruptcy, Which Is "Purely A Monetary Claim"
• How Is "The Public" Defined When It Comes To Special Damages?
• We Are The World: Iowa SCT Finds Dakota Access Pipeline Will Promote The Public Convenience For Iowa, Even If Iowans Don't Get Any Of The Pipeline's Oil
• Are Pipelines For The Public's Benefit? If So, What Public?
• "Doggone stinky" government action, but no property right in use of land
• Ninth Circuit: "fundamental" attributes of property may be immune from state law changes
• Property rights in a "clean and healthy environment" - Hawaii vs. DC Cir (Pennsylvania law)
• PruneYard Undone: California's Union Easement - Which Invites Labor Organizers To Enter Private Property - Isn't A Physical Taking
• Oregon App: Physical Inverse Condemnation Claim Is Ripe From The Moment Of Occupation
• 11th Cir: City Inviting Public To Access Beach Across Private Land Is Inverse Condemnation
• Federal Circuit: Restoration Of Foreign Govt's Sovereign Immunity For Terrorist Acts Isn't A Physical Taking Of Victim's Money Judgment

And no, it's not raining.

Materials And Links From Today's Austin Eminent Domain CLE

Great crowd today in Austin for CLE International's Eminent Domain seminar, co-chaired by our colleagues Chris Clough, Sejin Brooks, and Christopher Oddo. We spoke about "National Trends and Developing Issues in Eminent Domain." 

Here are the cases I referred to which are not included in your written materials:

• "Doggone stinky" government action, but no property right in use of land. 
• Ninth Circuit: "fundamental" attributes of property may be immune from state law changes
• Property rights in a "clean and healthy environment" - Hawaii vs. DC Cir (Pennsylvania law)
• Sixth Circuit: "forced pooling" statute isn't a taking
• "Bad faith" as a way to challenge a taking
• Violet Dock Port: for "unique" property, the Louisiana Supreme Court concludes that fair market value isn't the only measure of just compensation. Replacement cost evidence is admissible
• NJ Appellate Division: "take now, decide later" will not support redevelopment necessity. Unless there's "linkage" 
• Does the takings clause require compensation for the taking of use, or of value? 
• Does the takings clause protect investment expectations, or current profitability?
• Donuts and loss of business goodwill in eminent domain
• The Uniform Relocation Act and the Pirate's code
• Kansas relocation: owner who voluntarily sold entitled to benefits if there's evidence of an intent to condemn 
• Why do lower courts continue to dis Palazzolo? see also Indiana
• Tort vs "taking" - Montana, California (wildfire liability), 
• Ninth Circuit (2-1): inverse condemnation judgment which has not been reduced to judgment can be discharged in bankruptcy 
• Antrim Truck Centre - the Supreme Court of Canada on circuitry of access and "injurious affection"

Cal App Finds Goodwill For Donuts: Shop Owner Entitled To Loss Of Goodwill Damages, Even Where It Has Not Mitigated The Entire Loss

Who among us doesn't possess a lot of goodwill for doughnuts? We know we sure do. 

So when we think of "Los Angeles," what comes to mind: sunshine, beaches, Hollywood, and sprawl? No. What comes to mind are chili, hot dogs, and doughnuts. Those items -- more precisely, the roadside architecture which establishments that hawk these foods employ -- just sing "LA" to us. Especially doughnuts.

So the California Court of Appeal's recent opinion in Los Angeles County Metro. Transit Authority v. Yum Yum Donut Shops, Inc., No. B276280 (Feb. 26, 2019) grabbed our attention. And not just for its spelling of "donut," because the case involved a donut shop, and the recovery in eminent domain for the loss of business goodwill, two things we love.   

There, the MTA condemned a doughnut -- donut -- shop in central LA. Store 58 to be precise, a freestanding building which had operated for 30 years and which owned a long-term lease. And here's where it gets interesting. We never paid that much attention to the location of donut shops. Because to us, if you just build a donut shop, they will come, right? I mean, these things sell themselves, don't they?

Well not quite, and it turns out that donut shops have detailed location requirements. Lots of them. Things like "[l]ocated on the morning traffic side of the street," near a freeway, with easy in-and-out, and parking, in a "lower to middle income community." And more. Twelve criteria, in all. Who knew? See the opinion at page 4 for the details.  

But MTA was building a new light rail line, so it took Store 58. It looked for other locations to which to relocate Store 58, but Yum Yum concluded that none of the three candidates met all of the 12 requirements. No relocation, so off to trial the parties went, with the issue being the amount of compensation owed for the loss of Yum Yum's goodwill. 

The MTA's expert testified that the goodwill was worth $620,000, and if it moved to one of the three relocation sites MTA suggested, Yum Yum would "recapture $202,000, $138,000, or $340,000 in goodwill, respectively." Slip op. at 5. He also testified that Yum Yum would have "preserved" some goodwill at any of these sites, but also admitted that the shop would have lost some goodwill if it moved. 

Which teed up the issue the court of appeal considered: was Yum Yum entitled to recover its loss of goodwill under California's goodwill statute even though it did not mitigate its damages by relocating to one of the alternate sites MTA suggested? The MTA argued that it owed nothing because Yum Yum was being too picky, and it unreasonably rejected the three relocation alternatives presented by MTA. Once a property owner is deemed to be unreasonable, it argued, there's no duty at all to pay goodwill. The trial court agreed. 

The court of appeal was not so harsh. It concluded that to recover goodwill damages, the property owner must do so in two steps. First, prove that they are entitled to some recovery of goodwill. Not all of it as MTA was arguing, mind you. Just some of it. Slip op. at 12-13. Thus, in a situation like this, where the evidence all pointed to Yum Yum losing some goodwill even if it had accepted MTA's alternate sites, it was entitled to recover something: 

As MTA argues, the language of section 1263.510 is unambiguous. The statute’s unambiguous plain language provides that a condemnee must show it cannot prevent a loss of goodwill by relocating or otherwise taking reasonable steps to prevent that loss to be entitled to a jury trial on the amount of that unavoidable loss. A fortiori, if the condemnee would lose goodwill—even if it relocated its business or otherwise reasonably mitigated the loss—the condemnee satisfies its threshold burden. Nothing in section 1263.510’s language provides that the condemnee is entitled to no compensation at all for lost goodwill if the condemnee fails to mitigate a portion of that loss.

Slip op. at 10.

The second step would be to have the jury determine how much; generally, the amount which could not be avoided even with mitigation. Because the trial court hadn't reached the second step, the court of appeal sent the case back for a determination of how much goodwill Yum Yum lost from having Store 58 condemned.

Now to go have a donut. 

Los Angeles County Metro. Trans. Auth. v. Yum Yum Donut Shops, Inc., No. B276280 (Cal. App. Feb. 26, 2019)

ALI-CLE Palm Springs (72º, Sunny) Here We Come

If you didn't register to attend the 36th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference later this week in Palm Springs, California, well then, shame on you!

According to the National Weather Service, while you and the rest of the country is freezing, we'll be enjoying the balmy desert climes, and discussing the topics we love: eminent domain, redevelopment, relocation, regulatory takings, trial and appeal strategies, doctrinal changes on the horizon, hot topics (border wall, pipelines, wildfires, and flooding), and others. 

Featuring a national faculty (many new to the ALI-CLE dais), and attendees from the entire spectrum of practice, academia, and the bench. 

If you are not joining us, be sure to follow along on the blog (we will post updates daily), and on Twitter (@invcondemnation, @ALI_CLE #EminentDomain2019). And plan on joining us in 2020, when we'll be in a new city (by popular demand!). And if you have topics or speakers to propose, start thinking about those as well. 

Hot (Eminent Domain) Topics, Cool Jazz

Don't Miss the 2019 Eminent Domain Litigation Conference from American Law Institute CLE on Vimeo.

Check out this sound blurb, produced by the good media folks at ALI-CLE, about the upcoming Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference. (And no, we didn't record this in a jazz club; although I wish we had.)

There's still time to register, and come and join us in Palm Springs. 

Join Us For The 36th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference In Palm Springs (Jan 24-26, 2019)

Our colleague and co-planning chair Joe Waldo was in town yesterday, so we walked through historic Williamsburg, Virginia (cradle of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights), to invite you to join us for the 36th Annual ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (January 24-26, 2019, in Palm Springs, California).

As we wrote in this post, the Conference will feature the nation's best eminent domain faculty, presenting on the topics we love.

Register now here. Early registration and group discounts available. The 2018 Conference in Charleston sold out, so be sure to sign up now so you don't miss out. 

Links And Materials From Today's Transportation Research Board Session

Here are the cases and other items I either spoke about or mentioned at today's Transportation Research Board's 57th Annual Workshop on Transportation Law in Cambridge, Massachusetts:

• The Colorado public use cases: public use vs. public purpose: Lafayette and Carousel Farms
• On the Supreme Court docket: Violet Dock Port (SCOTUS, Louisiana)
• The Louisiana Supreme Court's ruling on valuation of a unique property (replacement cost vs fair market value)
• "New" property vs. "old" property - environmental rights as "property" (CADC, Hawaii)
• Tribal immunity from eminent domain (CA10, cert denied)
• Public can use the electricity produced, not the land taken (but that's good       enough) (SD)
• Utility takings: Claremont (Cal), Missoula (Montana)
• Post-Kelo statutes: how effective? (Georgia)
• The relationship between condemnation and inverse: Stimson (NC)
• Inverse vs. tort, part II: MR/GO and Katrina flooding (CAFED)
• Maryland: government inaction could result in inverse liability (Maryland)
• Objecting to eminent domain is a political opinion (CA9)
• Highest and Best Use could include "conceptual plans" (Florida)
• Causing a nonprofit to lose even more money is considered compensable "goodwill" under California law (California)
• Billboard valuation - loss of income isn't compensable, but there is more that one way to still get it (NC)
• Larger parcel, quick take deposit (Hawaii)
• Here's the amicus brief we filed in the above case, which cites Baetjer v. United States, 143 F.2d 391, 395 (1st Cir.) (condemnation on island of Vieques caused severance damages to parcels on Puerto Rico), cert. denied, 323 U.S. 772 (1944).
• Federal Relocation Act, inverse condemnation, and attorney fees  (West Virginia)
• The larger parcel in inverse cases (aka the "denominator" issue) (SCOTUS)
• Bye bye, Williamson County? (SCOTUS)
• Palazzolo applied (NY)
• Judicial Takings Redux - Martin's Beach (SCOTUS)

Thanks to my fellow speakers -- Bernadette Duran-Brown and Laura Curry -- and to the organizers of the Conference for asking me to be here. 

HAWICA: Honolulu's Rail Ordinances Can't Be Invalidated For Councilmembers' Conflicts Of Interest And Other (Alleged) Ethics Violations

In Kawananakoa v. City and County of Honolulu, No. CAAP-16-0000366 (Feb. 21, 2018), a very wealthy heiress (often styled as a "princess") sued the City alleging that several ordinances and resolutions adopted by the City Council were void because some of the councilmembers who considered and voted on these measures either had conflicts of interest, or received gifts valued in excess of the de minimus amount permitted by the City's Ethics Code. 

The circuit court dismissed for failure to state a claim, and in an unpublished opinion, the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals affirmed. The court concluded that her complaint sought the wrong relief (a declaration the ordinances are void, an injunction prohibiting the City from acting on them, and a revote on the measures), and the only remedy which the city's Ethics Code allows are impeachment, actions to recover the money, cancellation of contracts, and civil fines. 

The court also concluded that even if the remedies the plaintiff sought were available, the question of whether councilmembers violated the Ethics Code is a nonjusticiable political question.

Kawananakoa’s first point of error misstates the basis for the Circuit Court’s order. She contends that the Circuit Court erred when it dismissed the First Amended Complaint “on the grounds that a taxpayer can only challenge the validity of a municipal act or ordinance if she can establish the existence of a private right of action.” (Emphasis added.). In dismissing the First Amended Complaint, however, the Circuit Court was not so broad in its holding, stating only that “Plaintiff must have a private right of action to seek the relief requested in the complaint, and . . . Plaintiff does not have a private right of action to seek the relief requested in this case.” (Emphasis added.).

Slip op. at 5. 

The court also concluded that even if the remedies the plaintiff sought were available, the question of whether councilmembers violated the Ethics Code is a nonjusticiable political question. In our view, although the opinion casts its analysis as one of separation of powers and political questions, it really is better viewed as requiring administrative exhaustion, and first pursuing a remedy in the Ethics Commission before launching judicial action. 

In other words, it doesn't really seem like a question of whether a Hawaii court is capable of (or should) get involved in these type of cases seeking this type of remedy. That barn door is already pretty wide: the Hawaii Supreme Court, for example, recently reaffirmed that the courts can make budgeting decisions -- even on a limited basis -- for executive agencies and order the legislature to provide a certain level of funding, and this matter doesn't strike us as different in kind. Is there a reason that a court being injected into the State's legislative budgeting process is ok, but that its not ok for a court to involve itself in whether municipal ordinances are adopted by councilmembers who may have conflicts of interest? We're not sure of the answer, but don't think the opinion really confronts the question. 

But no matter, both of the judges on the two-judge panel (all other judges on the ICA recused) adopted the political question reasoning, and in our view it isn't clearly imprudent for a court to want to avoid invalidating ordinances for the reasons the plaintiff alleged. We caution against any broader reading, however, since process defects in ordinance adoption are not political questions, and routinely result in a court invalidating them.   

Finally, this is an unpublished memorandum opinion, and we wish it would be published. It is on an important and interesting topic of public concern, is well supported and written, and doesn't seem like one of those cases where the result is so obvious under existing law that it should not be considered precedent.    

Kawananakoa v. City and County of Honolulu, No. CAAP-16-0000366 (Haw. Ct. App. Feb. 21, 2018) 

ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Conference - In-Person Registration SOLD OUT (But You Can Still Join By Live Webcast)

Our upcoming American Law Institute-CLE Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference in Charleston, South Carolina has SOLD OUT our in-person registrations. 

We will have a record attendance (with over 100 first-time attendees) and the conference hotel has informed us that we can fit no more people in the meeting rooms. We cannot remember this happening before, but it tells us that we will have an energizing and exciting conference. 

Thank you to all of you who signed up and are coming or joining in online for the webcast -- we'll see you soon at the "four corners of the law."

And if you delayed too long in registering, please don't despair. You can still attend from home or the office because ALI has set up a live webcast of the sessions. Go here for more on how to sign up to attend by webcast.

And stay tuned: for 2019, we've already picked the venue (hint: west coast), and we are at a site which can accommodate as many attendees as can join us. We will make the formal announcement of the dates and location of the 2019 Conference in Charleston next week.

After we do, please make your plans and don't delay and risk getting left out!