Colosi v. Charlotte County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, et al.
Florida county’s land use permit extortion is for the birds—and illegal
Mike Colosi is a young, self-made tech entrepreneur who recently moved to Florida, drawn by its climate, both weather and taxes. Soon thereafter, he decided to plant permanent roots and in March 2024, he bought a 5.07-plot in a Punta Gorda neighborhood and set out to build a home. He was especially attracted to the peaceful privacy provided ...
In re Petition of Alger, Iron County Treasurers for Foreclosure
Fighting home equity theft in Michigan’s unlawful claims process
Lillian Joseph, a 79-year-old on a fixed income, fell behind on the 2018 property taxes on her house in Iron County, Michigan. In 2021, the County foreclosed over the $2,257 tax debt and sold the house for $27,500. The County kept every penny of the sale, seizing the family's entire equity in the home. A similar situation played out in Alger C ...
David Hood v. CA Department of Agriculture
Fighting California’s lawless general searches under the guise of pest control
For generations, residents of Southern California's Riverside and San Bernardino Counties have lived in harmony with the citrus trees that dot their private lawns and public spaces alike. The trees aren't just a source of fresh fruit; they're a living connection to the rich agricultural history of the state's "Inland Empire." When an invasive ...
MAID v. State of Montana
Defending the “Montana Miracle” and the right to build on your property
Montana, despite its vast land mass, faces the same housing shortage plaguing the rest of the nation. In 2023, state legislators passed a suite of laws, signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, to boost housing production and affordability in residential areas. The legislation was recommended by the governor's housing task force and received bipartisan suppo ...
Pilling v. City of Healdsburg, CA
Entrepreneur mom fights zoning extortion to build new housing in California
Jessica Pilling and her husband, Chris, run Bike Healdsburg, a small "party bicycle" business offering a fun way to explore Healdsburg, California. The husband-and-wife team also operates a patent agency and, up until the COVID-19 pandemic, ran an international student-recruiting service. caption id="attachment_98730" align="alignleft" width=" ...
In re Petition of Manistee County Treasurer for Foreclosure
Fighting home equity theft in Michigan’s unlawful claims process
Chelsea Koetter is a single mom who enjoyed raising her two boys in their two-bedroom home in Bear Lake, Manistee County, Michigan. And she owned the home free and clear of any mortgages or other liens. She fell behind on her 2018 property taxes, but with her family's help, Chelsea paid nearly all of what she owed, including her 2019 and 2020 ...
Stilts v. Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s beach expansion law moves public beach onto private property
In America, the right to own, occupy, and use your private property is a cornerstone of individual freedom and protected by the Constitution. If the government takes your property, it must pay just compensation—even when it is taking the property for a "good" purpose. Rhode Island lawmakers recently ignored these constitutional limits by ena ...
Sanchez v. Torrez
New Mexico landowners defend property rights from state-sanctioned trespassing
Lucía Sanchez is a rural New Mexico rancher and land planner for a local tribal government. She and her brother Miguel, who is a sheriff's deputy, own land in Rio Arriba County, where they raise a few dozen cattle. A national forest surrounds most of the property, and the Rio Tusas Creek runs through it. The non-navigable, knee-deep creek is consi ...
Shear Development Co., LLC v. California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission unlawfully blocks home construction
Land in California's coastal zone is among the most heavily regulated in the nation, if not the world. But even California's regulations acknowledge that property owners in the coastal zone have the fundamental right to use and develop their land. The State's Coastal Act, for example, limits the power of the California Coastal Commission to veto re ...