No. 24-162

Jennifer Sykes, et al. v. Office of the California State Controller, et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2024-08-15
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: fifth-amendment just-compensation public-use takings-clause temporary-taking unclaimed-property
Key Terms:
FifthAmendment Takings DueProcess JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2024-09-30
Related Cases: 24-158 (Vide)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does the Ninth Circuit's decision that California's Unclaimed Property Law does not require the payment of just compensation for the temporary taking of unclaimed private property it puts to public use conflict with the Takings Clause?

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED Every State has enacted laws requiring unclaimed property to be held by the states and used for public purposes until it is reclaimed by the property owners. Under the California Unclaimed Property Law, Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1540(c), like virtually every other state’s unclaimed property law, when unclaimed property is returned, no just compensation is paid to the property owners. The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, made applicable to the States by the Fourteenth Amendment, requires that just compensation be paid whenever private property is used for public purposes. See Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid, 141 S. Ct. 2063, 2074 (2021); Murr v. Wisconsin, 582 U.S. 383, 392 (2017); Webb's Fabulous Pharmacies, Inc. v. Beckwith, 449 U.S. 155, 164 (1980). Just compensation must be paid whether the public use of private property is permanent or merely temporary. See Cedar Point Nursery, 141 S. Ct. at 2074 (citing United States v. Dow, 357 U.S. 17, 26 (1958)); Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 535 U.S. 302, 322, 122 S.Ct. 1465 (2002); Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp., 458 U.S. 419, 436-37 (1982). Here, the court of appeals reached a contrary conclusion. The question presented is: Does the Ninth Circuit’s decision that California’s Unclaimed Property Law does not require the payment of just compensation for the temporary taking of unclaimed private property it puts to public use conflict with the Takings Clause?

Docket Entries

2024-10-07
Petition DENIED.
2024-09-11
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/30/2024.
2024-09-05
Waiver of Office of the California State Controller, et al. of right to respond submitted.
2024-09-05
Waiver of right of respondent Office of the California State Controller, et al. to respond filed.
2024-08-10
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 16, 2024)
2024-07-23
Application (23A1085) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until August 12, 2024.
2024-07-18
Application (23A1085) to extend further the time from July 28, 2024 to August 11, 2024, submitted to Justice Kagan.
2024-06-06
Application (23A1085) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until July 28, 2024.
2024-06-03
Application (23A1085) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from June 12, 2024 to July 28, 2024, submitted to Justice Kagan.

Attorneys

Jennifer Sykes, et al.
Mark Carl RifkinWolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP, Petitioner
Mark Carl RifkinWolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP, Petitioner
Office of the California State Controller, et al.
Anya BinsaccaCA Atty. General's Office, Respondent
Anya BinsaccaCA Atty. General's Office, Respondent