The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of Geraldine Tyler, a 94-year-old widow from Hennepin County, Minnesota. The case, brought forward by the Pacific Legal Foundation, has potentially far-reaching implications for real estate and the Bill of Rights across the United States.
In 2015, Hennepin County seized Tyler's home and foreclosed on it for $2,300 in property taxes due, even though the property was valued at $93,000. Even when the property was sold for $40,000, the county kept every penny for itself - including the remaining $25,000, which it had no right to take. The AARP has backed Tyler, noting that such tax-foreclosure schemes have a "devastating and disproportionate impact on the financial security of older adults".
The Pacific Legal Foundation argues that the seizure of Tyler's property and other cases like it violates the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the ban on excessive fines of the Eighth Amendment. If the Supreme Court sides with Tyler, it could help to end unconstitutional home equity theft across the United States.
The Supreme Court is set to hear the case of Geraldine Tyler, a 94-year-old widow from Hennepin County, Minnesota. The Pacific Legal Foundation has brought the case forward, citing potential implications for real estate and the Bill of Rights across the country.
In 2015, Hennepin County sought to seize Tyler's home and foreclosed on it for $2,300 in property taxes due. However, the property was valued at $93,000 and when it was subsequently sold for $40,000, the county kept every penny for itself - including the remaining $25,000, which it had no right to take. The AARP has backed Tyler, citing the financial security of older adults being disproportionately impacted by such schemes.
The Pacific Legal Foundation argues that the seizure of Tyler's property and other cases like it violates the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment and the ban on excessive fines of the Eighth Amendment. If the Supreme Court rules in Tyler's favor, it could help to put an end to unconstitutional home equity theft across the United States.