Nollan/Dolan | Exactions

Subscribe to Nollan/Dolan | Exactions via RSS

Here’s petitioner’s reply brief in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012), which responds to the Water Management District’s merits brief.

In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court will address whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests for all exactions.

Among other things, the reply addresses the argument made by the District and its amici that Nollan and Dolan aren’t really “takings” cases, but involve due process or equal protection:

Due process and equal protection claims are also inapt. A due process claim questions whether the exaction serves some legitimate purpose, and an equal protection claim asks whether the exaction is applied equally to similarly situated individuals. But neither claim addresses whether a particular individual has been targeted to bear a public…

Continue Reading Reply Brief In Koontz: Money Is Property

In “When Government Takes You Hostage,” lawprof Richard Epstein weighs in on the issues in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012). In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court will address whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests for all exactions.

Professor Epstein writes:

The situation that is now before the Supreme Court in Koontz shows the folly of the current law, which rejects the long-established common law baselines between neighbors. No longer does the state have to take (and pay just compensation) to satisfy its environmental goals. Rather, the entire mitigation doctrine amounts to nothing more than a form of grand theft larceny by which the state first claims for nothing a state-wide environmental easement, which it will then sell…

Continue Reading Epstein On Koontz: “Grand Theft Real Estate?”

There have been five amicus briefs filed supporting the Water Management District’s arguments in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012). That’s the case in which the Supreme Court is considering whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests for all exactions.

The property owner’s brief on the merits is available here. The Water Management District’s merits brief is posted here.

The amicus briefs just filed focus on the argument that a government demand for money is not an “exaction” that even triggers takings analysis, and if it is, the multifactor Penn Central test governs, not the Nollan–Dolan test.

…
Continue Reading Gov’t Amicus Briefs In Koontz: A Demand For Money Is Not An Exaction (And Even If It Is, Penn Central Is The Test)

LgoIt’s time for the annual ALI-CLE (fka ALI-ABA) eminent domain conferences, to be held January 24-26, 2013 in Miami Beach, Florida.

In the “advanced” course, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation, we’ll be covering topics such as “Condemning Underwater Mortgages,” “An Engineer’s Role in Damage,” “How To Develop and Implement a Business Plan for an Eminent Domain Practice,” and “Condemnor Beware: What Activities Will Make You Liable for Pre-Condemnation Damages.” Along with Pacific Legal Foundation’s Jim Burling and Cornell lawprof Robert Hockett, I’ll be speaking on the panel about underwater mortgages. More details on the agenda and the faculty here.

The companion course, Condemnation 101: How to Prepare an Eminent Domain Case, covers the basics of eminent domain law, and although designed as an overview of condemnation law for the beginner or general practitioner, it’s a great refresher course for the seasoned eminent domain lawyer. More…

Continue Reading Upcoming ALI-CLE Eminent Domain Conferences

Here’s the respondent’s brief in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012). That’s the case in which the Supreme Court is considering whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests for all exactions.

The respondent’s brief argues that the Water District did not demand an exaction, but merely “suggested a range of ways [the] applicant may [have] become eligible for a development permit.” Br. at 40. The brief argues that because the District could have denied the permit outright, it was fine for it to “suggest” ways that the property owner could convince it to issue the permit, without needing to show that there was some relationship between the suggested mitigation measures and the justification supporting the denial. Thus this was not merely the…

Continue Reading Brief For The Respondent In Koontz: “Mere Obligation To Spend Money Is Not A Taking”

We always like reading amicus briefs filed by the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence because they tend to focus on the history of whatever issue they are addressing, and the brief they (along with the Atlantic Legal Foundation and the Reason Foundation) filed in in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012) fits the bill. Check it out.

This looks like the final amicus brief supporting the property owner/petitioner. Now we wait for the respondent’s brief (and amici). Stay tuned.Continue Reading One More Top Side Amicus Brief In Koontz

Here are two more amicus curiae briefs in n Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012).

That’s the case asking whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests. We filed our amicus brief last week (posted here), and the other amicus briefs in support of the property owner/petitioner are here. 

…
Continue Reading More Amicus Briefs In Koontz

Here they are, more amicus curiae briefs in n Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012).

That’s the case asking whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests. We filed our amicus brief yesterday (posted here).

…
Continue Reading More Amicus Briefs In Koontz: Nollan/Dolan Apply To All Exactions

Today, on behalf of our colleagues at Owners’ Counsel of America, we filed this amicus brief in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012). That’s the case asking whether the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” standards of Nollan and Dolan are applicable only to exactions for land, or whether they are generally-applicable tests.

Our brief argues:

It is no great stretch to apply the nexus and proportionality standards to all exactions, and not just those demanding land. Like land, money is property, and should be subject to the same rules. Requiring compliance with Nollan and Dolan when government seeks money or other property in exchange for discretionary permits will not impose a significant burden on land planners, other than the requirement that they, like other officials, follow the Constitution. If the constable must understand the limitations the Constitution places on…

Continue Reading Amicus Brief: Exaction Not Subject To Lesser Standards Because Taking Measured In Dollars And Not Square Feet

Here’s the property owner’s merits brief in Koontz v. St Johns River Water Mgmt Dist., No. 11-1447 (cert. granted Oct. 5, 2012). 

This case presents two questions:

  • Whether the government violates the Takings Clause when it refuses to issue a land-use permit on the sole basis that the permit applicant did not accede to a permit condition that, if applied, would violate the essential nexus and rough proportionality tests set out in Nollan and Dolan?
  • Whether the nexus and proportionality tests set out in Nollan and Dolan apply to a land-use exaction that takes the form of a government demand that a permit applicant dedicate money, services, labor, or any other type of personal property to a public use.

The amicus briefs in support of the property owner are due next week. We’ll post those when available.

Petitioner’s Brief on the Merits, Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Mgmt …

Continue Reading Petitioner’s Brief In Koontz: No Bargaining Around The Takings Clause