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Final Cert Stage Brief In Columbia Eminent Domain Case

By Robert Thomas

<blockquote>The property owner has filed its <span class="asset asset-generic at-xid-6a00d83451707369e20148c676b4ae970c"><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/files/reply_to_bio_tuckitaway_11_23_10.pdf">Reply to the Brief in Opposition</a></span> in <em><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/inversecondemnation/2010/09/cert-petition-in-columbia-blight-case-are-there-any-limits-to-eminent-domain-in-new-york.html" target="_self">Tuck-It-Away, Inc. v. New York State Urban Dev. Corp.</a></em>, No. 10-402 (cert. petition filed Sep. 21, 2010). That's the case in which upper Manhattan property owners have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision of the New York Court of Appeals in the Columbia "blight" case, <em><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/files/125opn10.pdf">Kaur v. New York State Urban Development Corp.</a></em>, No. 125 (June 24, 2010).</blockquote> <blockquote>The New York Court of Appeals held that de novo judicial review of the factual record leading to an exercise of the eminent domain power was improper, and whether property can be taken because it allegedly is "substandard or insanitary" is a question for taking agencies, not courts.</blockquote> <blockquote>The cert petition poses two Questions Presented:</blockquote> <blockquote> <blockquote>This Petition should be granted to address two urgent questions arising from the Court of Appeals of New York's dismissal of Petitioners' challenge to the legitimacy of the governmental takings at issue in this case:</blockquote> <blockquote>1. Whether it was error for the Court of Appeals of New York to disregard the principles enunciated in <em>Kelo v. City of New London</em>, 545 U.S. 469 (2005) in sanctioning the use of eminent domain for the benefit of a private developer, when the circumstances presented by the instant case exemplify the very bad faith, pretext, and favoritism that this Court warned could result if Kelo's safeguards were ignored?</blockquote> <blockquote>2. Whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States imposes any minimum procedural standards, in accordance with the requirement of fundamental fairness, to preserve a property owner's meaningful opportunity to be heard within the context of an eminent domain taking?</blockquote> </blockquote> <blockquote>This is the final cert stage brief, and the case is scheduled for consideration by the Court at its Friday, <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docketfiles/10-402.htm" target="_self">December 10, 2010</a> conference. The results of the conference should be known on Monday.</blockquote> <blockquote>Here are the complete set of cert and amicus briefs:</blockquote> <blockquote> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/inversecondemnation/2010/09/cert-petition-in-columbia-blight-case-are-there-any-limits-to-eminent-domain-in-new-york.html" target="_self">Tuck It Away, Inc.'s Cert Petition</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li> <span class="asset asset-generic at-xid-6a00d83451707369e20147e06dce92970b"><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/files/esdc_bio_tuckitaway.pdf">New York State Urban Development Corporation's Brief in Opposition</a></span></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/inversecondemnation/2010/10/one-more-amicus-brief-in-columbia-eminent-domain-case-court-should-clarify-pretextual-taking.html" target="_self">Amicus brief of the Institute of Justice, the Cato Institute, and the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/inversecondemnation/2010/10/another-amicus-brief-in-columbia-eminent-domain-case-redevelopment-takings-disproportionately-impact.html" target="_self">Amicus brief of NY State Senator Bill Perkins</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/inversecondemnation/2010/10/amicus-brief-in-columbia-eminent-domain-case-what-level-of-scrutiny-does-kelo-require.html" target="_self">Amicus brief of Pacific Legal Foundation</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.inversecondemnation.com/files/reply_to_bio_tuckitaway_11_23_10.pdf">Tuck It Away, Inc's Reply to the BIO </a></li> </ul> <ul> </ul> <ul> </ul> </blockquote>

Full post as published by inversecondemnation on December 15, 2010 (boomark / email).