Articles

Koontz’s decades-long battle for property rights comes to a just end

February 19, 2016 | By BRIAN HODGES

Back in 1994, Coy Koontz, Sr. sued a Florida land use agency for placing unconstitutional demands on his application to develop a couple acres of commercial property located at the intersection of two major highways. Today, over two decades later, his battle for his property rights has finally come to an end—and a just one … ...

Articles

Property rights & the Roberts Court

September 29, 2015 | By BRIAN HODGES

In an article published today by Engage, PLF attorneys Brian T. Hodges and Christopher M. Kieser consider the U.S. Supreme Court’s most recent property rights case, Horne v. United States Department of Agriculture, in the context of the Roberts Court’s property rights jurisprudence. Spoiler alert: the Court’s track record is bette ...

Articles

Fighting to protect San Juan property owners from land grab

March 06, 2015 | By BRIAN HODGES

Yesterday, PLF attorneys filed an amicus brief in support of San Juan County’s shoreline property owners in the case, Common Sense Alliance v. Growth Management Hearings Board. At issue is San Juan County’s update to its critical areas ordinance, which, in part, conditions approval of any new development of a shoreline property upon the ...

Articles

Has the Forest Service read Koontz?

June 26, 2014 | By DAMIEN SCHIFF

Earlier this week, the United States Forest Service published for public comment proposed changes to the agency’s manual governing special use permits for ski resorts on National Forest land.  The proposal comes a few years after the ski industry successfully sued the Forest Service for trying to implement similar proposals without first mak ...

Articles

Heard through the grapevine : Ninth Circuit holds Koontz allows government price controls

May 12, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Last week, the Ninth Circuit decided the remand of Horne v. USDA, the raisin case that the Supreme Court overturned last term. The case previously drew attention for what it had to say about Williamson County — the case that keeps essentially all takings cases from federal court. The most recent round in this litigation addresses … ...

Articles

Appellate court ruling blesses extortionate land-use practices

January 17, 2014 | By JENNIFER THOMPSON

Yesterday, the California First District Court of Appeal ruled against us in Powell v. County of Humboldt.  This is the case challenging the County of Humboldt’s requirement that our clients, Scott and Lynn Powell, dedicate a public airspace easement above their property in exchange for a building permit.  The County insists they obtain thi ...

Articles

Fox News spotlights PLF’s Supreme Court win in Koontz

July 07, 2013 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Attorney Paul J. Beard II will appear on Fox News TODAY at 10:20 a.m. PDT / 1:20 p.m. EST to talk about our recent Supreme Court victory in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Management District. Mr. Beard, who argued the case at the Supreme Court, will explain how the decision provides property owners new protections … ...

Articles

PLF Statement on Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District Victory

June 25, 2013 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Sacramento, CA; June 25, 2013:  The U.S. Supreme Court today handed a victory to all property owners by ruling in favor of Pacific Legal Foundation’s client, Coy Koontz Jr., in his constitutional challenge to the heavy, unjustified demands that his family faced as a condition for a building permit. The case is Koontz v. St. … ...