Case of 94-year-old’s seized condo argued before Supreme Court

Attorneys for Geraldine Tyler asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to make a Minnesota county compensate her after it seized her condo. Hennepin County sold now 94-year-old Tyler’s condo for $40,000 after she failed to pay $15,000 in taxes and fees. The county kept the difference. Tyler’s attorney argued the county took her property without just compensation. The county argued a ruling in Tyler’s favor could make it difficult for local governments to collect property taxes. Minnesota is among a dozen states that allow jurisdictions to keep the margin.

What did the justices think? The justices seemed open to Tyler’s case. During argument, Justice Clarence Thomas summarized Tyler’s argument as the idea that the county profited on her “surplus equity.” Later, Justices Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch characterized the county’s case as asking for permission to seize valuable properties over small tax bills. Lower courts have sided with the county. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and Mary Reichard’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast on the Supreme Court’s ruling on mifepristone.