Articles
Supreme Court hears oral argument in excessive fines case
Today the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Timbs v. Indiana, a case brought by our friends at Institute for Justice. In Timbs, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause is incorporated against the states. In other words, the court will decide whether the Eighth Amendment prevents states (and n ...
Articles
When does a $8.41 tax bill cost you $24,215?
In January 2013, Uri Rafaeli’s business—Rafaeli, LLC—tried to pay the overdue taxes for a modest rental home in Southfield, Michigan. Rafaeli miscalculated the interest due for the delinquent 2011 taxes and underpaid by $8.41. A year later, Oakland County foreclosed on the property. The County then auctioned the property for $24,500 and ...
Articles
Michigan county confiscates private property over $8 in late taxes
Does the Constitution protect you from the government taking your equity in your home, land, or business? That’s the question Andrew Ohanessian and Rafaeli,LLC are asking the Michigan Court of Appeals in Rafaeli v. Oakland County. Rafaeli owed the County $8 for overdue taxes, which amassed to $285 in taxes, interest, and fees when the … ...