The National Law Review : A Fair Process to Avoid Home Equity Theft
In Pung v. Isabella County, the U.S. Supreme Court this week confirmed its decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County that when the government forecloses on a home to recover unpaid property taxes, it is entitled to keep only the amount owed and remit the remainder to the property owner as just compensation. The court clarified, however, that unlike t ...
MS Now : The Supreme Court stood up for privacy — but only to a point
The Supreme Court held today in Chatrie v. United States that the government conducted a search within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment when it acquired digital records about the cell phone location of a man accused of robbing a bank. This means that police generally need a warrant to obtain your location information from a service provider like ...
Could lower impact fees be key to solving California’s housing crisis?
California currently has some of the highest housing prices in the nation. But a recent study suggests that one policy change would help the state address this without costing taxpayers a dime: lowering impact fees on new home construction. New research from the RAND Corporation suggests reducing impact fees in California by just 25% could signific ...
What history has to say about the fairness of tax sales
In its recent decision in Pung v. Isabella County, the Supreme Court ruled that when the government sells your home to satisfy a tax debt, just compensation comes from the surplus of a fairly conducted tax sale and not the home's fair market value. The Court's focus on fairness matters especially in Pung because the fairness of the Pungs' own ta ...
Western Livestock Journal : Idaho just restored the property line
In 2005, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation received a troubling call from one of its members. A Fish and Game officer had crossed onto their private land—no warrant, no permission, no notice. Over the years, more ranchers, farmers and landowners came forward with additional, more troubling stories. To prevent ongoing abuse of property rights, Idah ...
Justice Thomas says the quiet part out loud in Pung
Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered its decision in Pung v. Isabella County, ruling against the Pung family. In February, the Pungs asked the Court to affirm that when the government takes and sells a home to satisfy a tax debt, just compensation should be measured by the home's fair market value—not whatever price the government happens to ...
House Oversight Committee to investigate home equity theft in DC
The House Oversight Committee recently announced an investigation into the District of Columbia's use of home equity theft, highlighting a major threat to property rights. Home equity theft is a shady government practice that allows governments to seize a person's property over a tax debt, sell it, and pocket all the proceeds—including the hom ...
From Magna Carta to American independence : The legacy behind America’s 250th birthday
This month marks the 811th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta, an event regarded by many as the foundation of the English Constitution and an inspiration for American independence. Magna Carta's lore has taken on a legendary quality over time, but the tale of the rebel barons compelling the tyrant King John to affix his seal to a document ...
American Heroes : The government took their children at 1 a.m. Without a warrant
Most parents assume that if the government wants to take their children, it first has to convince a judge. Josh Sabey and Sarah Perkins learned otherwise. A mere 36 hours after Sarah took their infant son to the emergency room for a fever, child welfare and police officers arrived at their door in the middle of the night and took their two yo ...