No. 25-487

Lynette Hathon, et al. v. Michigan

Lower Court: Michigan
Docketed: 2025-10-20
Status: Pending
Type: Paid
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: fifth-amendment inverse-condemnation just-compensation property-rights state-liability takings-clause
Key Terms:
FifthAmendment Takings Jurisdiction
Latest Conference: 2026-02-20 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment is a self-executing stand-alone claim that permits property owners to sue a State directly for just compensation when the State otherwise mandates reliance on an inadequate statutory remedy

Question Presented (from Petition)

During the last Term, this Court in DeVillier v. Texas (No. 22 -913) granted certiorari to decide whether the Takings Clause itself authorizes a property owner to sue a State directly for just compensation when the legislature has not created a statutory cause of action. The Court ultimately declined to resolve the question because Texas law supplied an independent state common -law remedy, thus leaving for another day the central issue of whether the Takings Clause is judicially enforceable on its own terms. That question is now ripe. The Michigan Supreme Court has declared that the Fifth Amendment itself provides no cause of action in Michigan and barred inverse condemnation in full , requiring property owners to rely solely on a statutory scheme that affirmatively withholds and denies full just compensation. The federal question avoided in DeVillier is now squarely presented. The question presented is: Whether the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment is a self-executing stand -alone claim that permits property owners to sue a State directly for just compensation when the State otherwise mandates reliance on an inadequate statutory remedy .

Docket Entries

2026-02-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
2026-02-02
Reply of Lynette Hathon, et al. submitted.
2026-02-02
Reply of petitioners Lynette Hathon, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2026-01-21
Brief of Michigan in opposition submitted.
2026-01-21
Brief of respondent Michigan in opposition filed.
2025-11-25
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including January 21, 2026.
2025-11-24
Motion of Michigan for an extension of time submitted.
2025-11-24
Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 22, 2025 to January 21, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
2025-11-21
Response Requested. (Due December 22, 2025)
2025-11-18
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/5/2025.
2025-11-05
Waiver of right of respondent Michigan to respond filed.
2025-10-16
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 19, 2025)
2025-08-11
Application (25A133) granted by Justice Kavanaugh extending the time to file until October 19, 2025.
2025-07-30
Application (25A133) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 20, 2025 to October 19, 2025, submitted to Justice Kavanaugh.

Attorneys

Lynette Hathon, et al.
Philip Lee EllisonOutside Legal Counsel PLC, Petitioner
Philip Lee EllisonOutside Legal Counsel PLC, Petitioner
Michigan
Ann Maurine ShermanMichigan Department of Attorney General, Respondent
Ann Maurine ShermanMichigan Department of Attorney General, Respondent