Kathy Sarkisian v. City of the Village of Douglas, MI
Michigan town gives neighbors veto power over chickens, property rights, and due process
Kathy Sarkisian is challenging the City ordinance that illegally gives neighbors absolute power over chicken permits and use of property that’s not theirs, and does so without due process.
Clear Sky Holdings, LLC v. Estate of Gaston Powell, Sr.
Protecting family’s century-old home equity from DC’s predatory taxation
Gaston Powell’s loved ones are fighting back against DC’s predatory tax foreclosure process and excessive penalties to ensure their family legacy and home’s equity aren’t wiped out by illegal government overreach.
DJB Rentals, LLC v. City of Largo, Florida
Florida City’s massive fines are a money-making scheme disguised as code enforcement
Don Bourgeois has taken his fight to federal court to restore his rights and end Largo’s destructive and illegal use of fining power as a money-making scheme.
In re Petition of Alger, Iron County Treasurers for Foreclosure
Fighting home equity theft in Michigan’s unlawful claims process
The Michigan and United States Constitutions demand that government pay the owner for property it takes, at a minimum, by selling the property and returning any surplus to former owners. No matter what claim processes lawmakers put on the books, once a government takes property, the government must pay for it.
In re Petition of Manistee County Treasurer for Foreclosure
Fighting home equity theft in Michigan’s unlawful claims process
Chelsea is asking the Michigan Supreme Court to finish what it started in Rafaeli and confirm her right to just compensation without complicated claims procedures and unreasonably tight deadlines.
Matthew Schafer, et al. v. Kent County, MI
Holding Michigan counties accountable to stop home equity theft
A court decision’s date doesn’t dictate the beginning or end of property rights. The Michigan Supreme Court in Rafaeli and the U.S. Supreme Court in Tyler v. Hennepin County both recognized that property interests at stake in government tax foreclosures are deeply rooted and pre-exist state law. Property cannot be taken without just compensation, no matter when the taking happens. Represented by PLF at no charge, Matt and other Kent County property owners are urging Michigan’s high court to finish what it started in Rafaeli and confirm their constitutional right to just compensation, regardless of when the government unlawfully takes private property.
DiPietro v. Town of Bolton, Massachusetts
Struggling alpaca farmer fights government-sanctioned home equity theft
Alan DiPietro has been raising alpacas and selling their fleece since 2008 in Bolton, Massachusetts, a small, pleasant town in the state’s Nashoba Valley Region. By 2014, Alan’s alpacas needed more land, so he bought 34 acres that spanned Bolton and the adjacent Town of Stow. The property was undeveloped, so the 50-year-old former engineer mowed some existing fields and installed natural fencing and other small structures necessary to run an alpaca farm.
Fair v. Continental Resources
Nebraska widower fights government-sanctioned home equity theft
The outside world came to a screeching halt for Kevin Fair in 2013. His wife, Terry, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Kevin had to quit his job so he could care for her at their Scottsbluff, Nebraska, home where they’d lived for nearly two decades—the home was a wedding gift from Kevin’s mother.
Foss v. City of New Bedford, et al.
State’s tax takings law enriches private company with senior citizen’s home and life savings
Life has not been easy for Deborah Foss in recent years. The 66-year-old grandmother lives in Massachusetts on a small, fixed income from Social Security. She suffers from several medical conditions, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, COPD, and neuropathy. Despite these struggles, Deborah cared for her ailing mother for the last 10 years of her life. Deborah hoped her 2015 purchase of a home would help put her hardships behind her. After her mother died, she used money from the sale of her mother’s house in Quincy, Massachusetts, and her life savings to buy a $168,500, two-unit home in New Bedford.