Real Estate & Property Law

Cert Denied In Ninth Circuit Legislative Exactions Case

By Robert Thomas (inversecondemnation.com)

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court declined review of the Ninth Circuit's decision in McClung v. City of Sumner, 548 F.3d 1219 (9th Cir. 2008). In that case, the Ninth Circuit held:

This case presents an issue of first impression in this Circuit ? whether a legislative, generally applicable development condition that does not require the owner to relinquish rights in the real property, as opposed to an adjudicative land-use exaction, should be reviewed pursuant to the ad hoc standards of Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York, 438 U.S. 104 (1978), or the nexus and proportionality standards of Nollan v. California Coastal Commission, 483 U.S. 825 (1987), and Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374 (1994). We affirm, holding that the Penn Central analysis applies to the 12-inch pipe requirement. 

The Ninth Circuit's opinion is available here. The Cato Institute which along with others filed an amicus brief urging the Court to review the case, summarized the case:

When Daniel and Andrea McClung applied for a permit to build a small business on their property, the City of Sumner, Washington, charged them nearly $50,000 to pay for improvements to the City's entire storm drainage system. The McClungs sued the City under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, whose Takings Clause prohibits the government from "taking" private property for public use without just compensation. They argue that the City cannot force them to pay fees for off-site pipes absent proof that their development would have a specific detrimental effect on the existing drainage system?and without any evidence that the impact was worth $50,000. The Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the City, reasoning that money is not property (so there could be no unconstitutional taking) and that because the fees were imposed by ordinance (so the City's determination that the pipes needed upgrading was justification enough for the fees). The McClungs have now asked the Supreme Court to review their case. Cato, joined by the Pacific Legal Foundation and the Building Industry Association of Washington, argues that this case is a perfect vehicle for the Court to revisit the scope of Fifth Amendment protections. Our brief highlights the deep divisions among state and federal courts over several important issues, such as whether the Takings Clause applies to legislative (as opposed to bureaucratic) exactions and whether it applies to monetary exactions (not just burdens on land use). The Court should take this case to ensure that the standard for reviewing development conditions is uniform across the country and make clear that property right protections do not depend on ill-defined distinctions such as the form of property demanded by the government or the manner in which a condition is imposed.

The Supreme Court's denial of review does not establish any precedent, and McClung remains good law in the Ninth Circuit.

Full post as published by inversecondemnation on June 12, 2009 (boomark / email).