Supreme Court leans towards property rights for individuals in seizure cases.
The US Supreme Court is considering the appeal of a 94-year-old Minnesota woman who lost her home over a small unpaid tax bill and received no compensation. The practice, known as "home equity theft," is legal in roughly a dozen states that allow municipalities to seize and sell a property and keep the entirety of earnings, regardless of the value of the outstanding tax bill. Many justices suggested the practice could run afoul of the Fifth Amendment's prohibition against government taking private property without "just compensation." A decision in the case is expected by the end of June.