HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegulatoryTakingsOffice of the
Attorney General
Idaho
Regulatory Takings Act
Guidelines
JANUARY 2023
RAÚL R. LABRADOR
Attorney General
700 West Jefferson Street
Boise, ID 83720-0010
www.ag.idaho.gov
State of Idaho
Office of Attorney General
Raúl R. Labrador
Dear Fellow Idahoans:
Property rights are most effectively protected when government
and citizens understand their respective rights. The purpose of this
pamphlet is to facilitate that understanding and provide guidelines to
governmental entities to help evaluate the impact of proposed regulatory
or administrative actions on private property owners.
One of the foundations of American democracy is the primacy of
private property rights. The sanctity of private property ownership found
expression in the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, written by
James Madison, and in Article I, § 14 of the Idaho Constitution. Both
provisions ensure private property, whether it be land or intangible
property rights, and will not be arbitrarily confiscated by any agency of
government.
Madison wrote in Federalist Paper 54, that “government is
instituted no less for the protection of the property than of the persons of
individuals.” As your Attorney General, I feel a responsibility to ensure
that the Constitution and state laws protecting the property rights of
Idahoans are enforced. I am committed to ensuring that every state agency,
department and official complies with both the spirit and letter of these
laws.
In furtherance of this goal, the Idaho legislature enacted, and the
Governor signed into law, Chapter 80, Title 67 of the Idaho Code.
Originally passed in 1994, the law required the Attorney General to
provide a checklist to assist state agencies in determining whether their
administrative actions could be construed as a taking of private property.
In 1995, the legislature amended the statute to apply to local units of
government. Idaho Code § 67-6508 was also amended to ensure that
planning and zoning land use policies do not violate private property
rights. In 2003, Idaho legislators amended Chapter 80, Title 67 of the
Idaho Code, allowing a property owner to request a regulatory takings
analysis from a state agency or local governmental entity should their
actions appear to conflict with private property rights. In 2016, the
legislature amended the statute to clarify that a property owner’s right to
request a regulatory takings analysis is discretionary and does not limit the
property owner’s right to pursue other legal or equitable remedies. The
2016 amendment also clarified that the regulatory takings analysis applies
to potential takings of both real and personal property. Combined, these
laws assure Idaho property owners that their rights will be protected.
The Office of the Attorney General has prepared this
informational brochure for your use. If you have any questions, feel free
to call your city or county prosecuting attorney.
RAÚL R. LABRADOR
Attorney General
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IDAHO REGULATORY TAKINGS LAWS ........................................ 1
IDAHO CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS ................................................... 1
IDAHO STATUTORY PROVISIONS ............................................................ 1
ADVISORY MEMORANDUM ............................................................. 5
GENERAL BACKGROUND PRINCIPLES..................................................... 6
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S RECOMMENDED PROCESS................................. 7
ATTORNEY GENERAL’S CHECKLIST CRITERIA ....................................... 8
APPENDIX A: SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL AND STATE
CASES ........................................................................................ A-1
SUMMARIES OF SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL “TAKINGS” CASES ............... A-1
SUMMARIES OF SIGNIFICANT IDAHO “TAKINGS” CASES .................... A-9
APPENDIX B: REQUEST FOR REGULATORY
TAKING ANALYSIS................................................................. B-1
APPENDIX C: REGULATORY TAKINGS CHECKLIST.......... C-1
1
Idaho Regulatory
Takings Guidelines
IDAHO REGULATORY TAKINGS LAWS
Idaho Constitutional Provisions
Article I, section 13. Guaranties in criminal actions and due process
of law. In all criminal prosecutions, the party accused shall have the right
to a speedy and public trial; to have the process of the court to compel the
attendance of witnesses in his behalf, and to appear and defend in person
and with counsel.
No person shall be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense; nor be
compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself; nor be
deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.
Article I, section 14. Right of eminent domain. The necessary use of
lands for the construction of reservoirs or storage basins, for the purpose
of irrigation, or for rights of way for the construction of canals, ditches,
flumes or pipes, to convey water to the place of use for any useful,
beneficial or necessary purpose, or for drainage; or for the drainage of
mines, or the working thereof, by means of roads, railroads, tramways,
cuts, tunnels, shafts, hoisting works, dumps, or other necessary means to
their complete development, or any other use necessary to the complete
development of the material resources of the state, or the preservation of
the health of its inhabitants, is hereby declared to be a public use, and
subject to the regulation and control of the state.
Private property may be taken for public use, but not until a just
compensation, to be ascertained in the manner prescribed by law, shall be
paid therefor.
Idaho Statutory Provisions
67-8001. Declaration of purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to
establish an orderly, consistent review process that better enables state
agencies and local governments to evaluate whether proposed regulatory
or administrative actions may result in a taking of private property without
due process of law. It is not the purpose of this chapter to expand or reduce
the scope of private property protections provided in the state and federal
constitutions. [67-8001, added 1994, ch. 116, sec. 1, p. 265; am. 1995, ch.
182, sec. 1, p. 668.]
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
2
67-8002. Definitions. As used in this chapter:
“Local government” means any city, county, taxing district or other
political subdivision of state government with a governing body.
“Private property” means all property protected by the constitution of the
United States or the constitution of the state of Idaho.
“State agency” means the state of Idaho and any officer, agency, board,
commission, department or similar body of the executive branch of the
state government.
“Regulatory taking” means a regulatory or administrative action resulting
in deprivation of private property that is the subject of such action, whether
such deprivation is total or partial, permanent or temporary, in violation of
the state or federal constitution. [67-8002, added 1994, ch. 116, sec. 1, p.
265; am. 1995, ch. 182, sec. 2, p. 668; am. 2003, ch. 141, sec. 1, p. 409.]
67-8003. Protection of private property.
1. The attorney general shall establish, by October 1, 1994, an
orderly, consistent process, including a checklist, that better enables a state
agency or local government to evaluate proposed regulatory or
administrative actions to assure that such actions do not result in an
unconstitutional taking of private property. The attorney general shall
review and update the process at least on an annual basis to maintain
consistency with changes in law. All state agencies and local governments
shall follow the guidelines of the attorney general.
2. An owner of private property that is the subject of such action
may submit a written request with the clerk or the agency or entity
undertaking the regulatory or administrative action. Not more than twenty-
eight (28) days after the final decision concerning the matter at issue, a
state agency or local governmental entity shall prepare a written taking
analysis concerning the action. Any regulatory taking analysis prepared
hereto shall comply with the process set forth in this chapter, including use
of the checklist developed by the attorney general pursuant to subsection
(1) of this section and shall be provided to the private property owner no
longer than forty-two (42) days after the date of the filing of the request
with the clerk or secretary of the agency whose action is questioned. A
regulatory taking analysis prepared pursuant to this action shall be
considered public information.
3. A governmental action is voidable if a written taking analysis
is not prepared after a request has been made pursuant to this chapter. A
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
3
private property owner, whose property is the subject of governmental
action, affected by a governmental action without the preparation of a
requested taking analysis as required by this section, may seek judicial
determination of the validity of the governmental action by initiating a
declaratory judgment action or other appropriate legal procedure. A suit
seeking to invalidate a governmental action for noncompliance with
subsection (2) of this section must be filed in a district court in the county
in which the private property owner’s affected private property is located.
If the affected property is located in more than one (1) county, the private
property owner may file suit in any county in which the affected private
property is located.
4. During the preparation of the taking analysis, any time
limitation relevant to the regulatory or administrative actions shall be
tolled. Such tolling shall cease when the taking analysis has been provided
to the property owner. Both the request for a taking analysis and the taking
analysis shall be part of the official record regarding the regulatory or
administrative action.
5. A private property owner is not required to submit a request
under this chapter. The decision by the private property owner not to
submit a request under this chapter shall not prevent or prohibit the private
property owner from seeking any legal or equitable remedy including, but
not limited to, the payment of just compensation. [67-8003, added 1994,
ch. 116, sec. 1, p. 265; am. 1995, ch. 182, sec. 3, p. 669; am. 2003, ch. 141,
sec. 2, p. 409; am. 2016, ch. 225, sec. 1, p. 620.]
67-6508. Planning duties. It shall be the duty of the planning or planning
and zoning commission to conduct a comprehensive planning process
designed to prepare, implement, and review and update a comprehensive
plan, hereafter referred to as the plan. The plan shall include all land within
the jurisdiction of the governing board. The plan shall consider previous
and existing conditions, trends, compatibility of land uses, desirable goals
and objectives, or desirable future situations for each planning component.
The plan with maps, charts, and reports shall be based on the following
components as they may apply to land use regulations and actions unless
the plan specifies reasons why a particular component is unneeded.
(a) Property Rights -- An analysis of provisions which may be
necessary to ensure that land use policies, restrictions, conditions and fees
do not violate private property rights, adversely impact property values or
create unnecessary technical limitations on the use of property and analysis
as prescribed under the declarations of purpose in chapter 80, title 67,
Idaho Code.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
4
67-6523. Emergency ordinances and moratoriums. If a governing board
finds that an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare requires
adoption of ordinances as required or authorized under this chapter, or
adoption of a moratorium upon the issuance of selected classes of permits,
or both, it shall state in writing its reasons for that finding. The governing
board may then proceed without recommendation of a commission, upon
any abbreviated notice of hearing that it finds practical, to adopt the
ordinance or moratorium. An emergency ordinance or moratorium may be
effective for a period of not longer than one hundred eighty-two (182)
days. Restrictions established by an emergency ordinance or moratorium
may not be imposed for consecutive periods. Further, an intervening
period of not less than one (1) year shall exist between an emergency
ordinance or moratorium and reinstatement of the same. To sustain
restrictions established by an emergency ordinance or moratorium beyond
the one hundred eighty-two (182) day period, a governing board must
adopt an interim or regular ordinance, following the notice and hearing
procedures provided in section 67-6509, Idaho Code. [67-6523, added
I.C., sec. 67-6523, as added by 1975, ch. 188, sec. 2, p. 515; am. 2003, ch.
142, sec. 6, p. 415.]
67-6524. Interim ordinances and moratoriums. If a governing board
finds that a plan, a plan component, or an amendment to a plan is being
prepared for its jurisdiction, it may adopt interim ordinances as required or
authorized under this chapter, following the notice and hearing procedures
provided in section 67-6509, Idaho Code. The governing board may also
adopt an interim moratorium upon the issuance of selected classes of
permits if, in addition to the foregoing, the governing board finds and
states in writing that an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or
welfare requires the adoption of an interim moratorium. An interim
ordinance or moratorium shall state a definite period of time, not to exceed
one (1) calendar year, when it shall be in full force and effect. To sustain
restrictions established by an interim ordinance or moratorium, a
governing board must adopt a regular ordinance, following the notice and
hearing procedures provided in section 67-6509, Idaho Code. [67-6524,
added I.C., sec. 67-6524, as added by 1975, ch. 188, sec. 2, p. 515; am.
2003, ch. 142, sec. 7, p. 415.]
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
5
ADVISORY MEMORANDUM
STATE OF IDAHO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S ADVISORY
MEMORANDUM FOR EVALUATION OF PROPOSED
REGULATORY OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS TO
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TAKINGS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY
The Office of the Attorney General is required to develop an
orderly, consistent internal management process for state agencies and
local governments to evaluate the effects of proposed regulatory or
administrative actions on private property. Idaho Code § 67-8003(1).
This is the Attorney General’s recommended process and
advisory memorandum. It is not a formal Attorney General’s Opinion
under Idaho Code § 67-1401(6), and should not be construed as an opinion
by the Attorney General on whether a specific action constitutes a
“taking.” Agencies shall use this process to identify those situations
requiring further assessment by legal counsel. Appendix A contains a brief
discussion of some of the important federal and state cases that set forth
the elements of a “taking.”
State agencies and local governments are required to use this
procedure to evaluate the impact of proposed administrative or regulatory
actions on private property. Idaho Code § 67-8003(1). Upon the written
request of an owner of private property that is the subject of such action, a
state agency or local governmental entity shall prepare a written taking
analysis concerning the action. Appendix B contains a form that can be
used to request a taking analysis. Appendix C contains a sample form for
completing a regulatory taking analysis. The written request must be filed
not more than twenty-eight (28) days after the final decision concerning
the matter at issue and the completed takings analysis shall be provided to
the property owner no longer than forty-two (42) days after the date of
filing the request with the clerk or secretary of the agency whose action is
questioned. Idaho law also provides that “a regulatory taking analysis
shall be considered public information.” See Idaho Code § 67-8003(2).
Should a state agency or local governmental entity not prepare a
regulatory taking analysis following a written request, the property owner
may seek judicial determination of validity of the action by initiating legal
action. Such a claim must be filed in a district court in the county in which
the private property owner’s affected private property is located. See
Idaho Code § 67-8003(3).
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
6
General Background Principles
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides
that private property shall not be taken for public use without just
compensation. Article I, section 14 of the Idaho State Constitution
provides in relevant part:
Private property may be taken for public use, but not
until a just compensation, to be ascertained in the manner
prescribed by law, shall be paid therefor.
Thus, under both the federal and state constitutions, private property may
not be taken for public purposes without payment of just compensation.
Courts have recognized three situations in which a taking
requiring just compensation may occur: (1) when a government action
causes physical occupancy of property, (2) when a government action
causes physical invasion of property, and (3) when government regulation
effectively eliminates all economic value of private property. A “taking”
may be permanent or temporary.
The most easily recognized type of “taking” occurs when
government physically occupies private property. This may happen when
the government exercises its eminent domain authority to take private
property for a public use. Property owners must be paid just compensation
when the government acquires private property through eminent domain
authority. The types of public uses that may be the subject of eminent
domain authority under state law are identified in section 7-701, Idaho
Code. Clearly, when the government seeks to use private property for a
public building, a highway, a utility easement, or some other public
purpose, it must compensate the property owner.
Physical invasions of property, as distinguished from physical
occupancies, may also give rise to a “taking” where the invasions are of a
recurring or substantial nature. Examples of physical invasions include,
among others, flooding and water-related intrusions and overflight or
aviation easement intrusions.
Like physical occupations or invasions, a regulation that affects
the value, use, or transfer of property may also constitute a “taking,” but
only if it “goes too far.” Although most land use regulation does not
constitute a “taking” of property, the courts have recognized that when
regulation divests an owner of the essential attributes of ownership, it
amounts to a “taking” subject to compensation.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
7
Regulatory actions are harder to evaluate for “takings” because
government may properly regulate or limit the use of private property,
relying on its authority and responsibility to protect public health, safety
and welfare. Accordingly, government may abate public nuisances,
terminate illegal activity, and establish building codes, safety standards, or
sanitary requirements generally without creating a compensatory “taking.”
Government may also limit the use of property through land use planning,
zoning ordinances, setback requirements, and environmental regulations.
If a government regulation, however, destroys a fundamental
property right – such as the right to possess, exclude others from, or
dispose of property – it could constitute a compensable “taking.”
Similarly, if a regulation imposes substantial and significant limitations on
property use, there could be a “taking.” In assessing whether there has
been such a limitation on property use as to constitute a “taking,” the court
will consider both the purpose of the regulatory action and the degree to
which it limits the owner’s property rights.
An important factor in evaluating each action is the degree to
which the action interferes with a property owner’s reasonable
investment-backed development expectations; in other words, the owner’s
expectations of the investment potential of the property and the impact of
the regulation on those expectations. For instance, in determining whether
a “taking” has occurred, a court might, among other things, weigh the
regulation’s impact on vested development rights against the
government’s interest in promulgating the regulation.
If a regulation prohibits all economically viable or beneficial uses
of property, there may be liability for just compensation unless
government can demonstrate that laws of nuisance or other pre-existing
limitations on the use of the property prohibit the proposed uses.
If a court determines there has been a regulatory “taking,” the
government has the option of either paying just compensation or
withdrawing the regulatory limitation. If the regulation is withdrawn, the
government may still be liable to the property owner for a temporary
“taking” of the property.
Attorney General’s Recommended Process
1. State agencies and local governments must use this evaluation
process whenever the agency contemplates action that affects privately
owned property. Each agency and local government must also use this
process to assess the impacts of proposed regulations before the agency
publishes the regulations for public comment. In Idaho, real property
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
8
includes land, possessors’ rights to land, ditch and water rights, mining
claims (lode and placer), and freestanding timber. Idaho Code §§ 55-101
and 63-108. In addition, the right to continue to conduct a business may
be a sufficient property interest to invoke the protections of the just
compensation clause of the Idaho Constitution. For example, see Idaho
Code §§ 22-4501 to 22-4504.
2. Agencies and local governments must incorporate this
evaluation process into their respective review processes. It is not a
substitute, however, for that existing review procedure. Since the extent
of the assessment necessarily depends on the type of agency or local
government action and the specific nature of the impacts on private
property, the agency or local government may tailor the extent and form
of the assessment to the type of action contemplated. For example, in some
types of actions, the assessment might focus on a specific piece of
property. In others, it may be useful to consider the potential impacts on
types of property or geographic areas.
3. Each agency and local government must review this advisory
memorandum and recommended process with appropriate legal counsel to
ensure that it reflects the specific agency or local government mission. It
should be distributed to all decision makers and key staff.
4. Each agency and local government must use the following
checklist to determine whether a proposed regulatory or administrative
action should be reviewed by legal counsel. If there are any affirmative
answers to any of the questions on the checklist, the proposed regulatory
or administrative action must be reviewed in detail by staff and legal
counsel. Since the legislature has specifically found the process is
protected by the attorney-client privilege, each agency and local
government can determine the extent of distribution and publication of
reports developed as part of the recommended process. However, once the
report is provided to anyone outside the executive or legislative branch or
local governmental body, the privilege has been waived.
Attorney General’s Checklist Criteria
Agency or local government staff must use the following
questions in reviewing the potential impact of a regulatory or
administrative action on specific property. While these questions also
provide a framework for evaluating the impact proposed regulations may
have generally, takings questions normally arise in the context of specific
affected property. The public review process used for evaluating proposed
regulations is another tool that the agency or local government should use
aggressively to safeguard rights of private property owners. If property is
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
9
subject to regulatory jurisdiction of multiple governmental agencies, each
agency or local government should be sensitive to the cumulative impacts
of the various regulatory restrictions.
Although a question may be answered affirmatively, it does not
mean that there has been a “taking.” Rather, it means there could be a
constitutional issue and that the proposed action should be carefully
reviewed with legal counsel.
1. Does the Regulation or Action Result in a Permanent or
Temporary Physical Occupation of Private Property?
Regulation or action resulting in a permanent or temporary
physical occupation of all or a portion of private property will generally
constitute a “taking.” For example, a regulation that required landlords to
allow the installation of cable television boxes in their apartments was
found to constitute a “taking.” See Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan
CATV Corp., 458 U.S. 419, 102 S. Ct. 3164 (1982).
The acquisition of private property through eminent domain
authority is distinct from situations where a regulation results in the
physical occupation of private property. The exercise of eminent domain
authority is governed by the procedures in chapter 7, title 7, Idaho Code.
Whenever a state or local unit of government, or a public utility, is
negotiating to acquire private property under eminent domain, the
condemning authority must provide the private property owner with a form
summarizing the property owner’s rights. Section 7-711A, Idaho Code,
identifies the required content for the advice of rights form.
2. Does the Regulation or Action Condition the Receipt of a
Government Benefit on a Property Owner Dedicating a Portion of
Property, Granting an Easement, or Expending Funds for Items
Unrelated to the Impacts of the Proposed Action?
A government entity may condition or regulate an action that it
has the authority to prohibit altogether. However, there must be a nexus
and rough proportionality between the government’s demands and the
social costs of the proposed action. Koontz v. St. Johns River Water
Mgmt. Dist., 570 U.S. 595, 133 S. Ct. 2586 (2013); Nollan v. California
Coastal Commission, 483 U.S. 825, 107 S. Ct. 3141 (1987); Dolan v. City
of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374, 114 S. Ct. 2309 (1994). The condition must be
reasonably and specifically designed to prevent or compensate for adverse
impacts of the proposed development. Likewise, the magnitude of the
burden placed on the proposed development should be reasonably related
to the adverse impacts created by the development. Where a condition to
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
10
a land-use permit includes the dedication of property or grant of an
easement, courts consider whether the exaction “has an essential nexus and
rough proportionality” to the social impacts of the permitted action. Put
another way, does the dedication or grant substantially advance the same
state interest that would allow the government entity to deny the permit
altogether? Lacking this connection, the dedication of property to public
use would be just as unconstitutional as it would be if imposed outside the
permit context. For example, the United States Supreme Court determined
in Nollan v. California Coastal Comm’n, 483 U.S. 825, 107 S. Ct. 3141
(1987), that compelling an owner of waterfront property to grant a public
easement across his property that does not substantially advance the
public’s interest in beach access, constitutes a “taking.” Likewise, the
United States Supreme Court held that compelling a property owner to
leave a public green way, as opposed to a private one, did not substantially
advance protection of a flood plain, and was a “taking.” Dolan v. City of
Tigard, 512 U.S. 374, 114 S. Ct. 2309 (1994).
In Koontz, the United States Supreme Court applied the same
reasoning to a monetary condition on a land-use permit. The Court held
that the regulatory takings analysis applied to a water management
district’s conditioning a land-use permit on a landowner funding offsite
wetland mitigation. The Court held that such a condition would be an
unconstitutional taking if the condition did not have an essential nexus and
rough proportionality to the impacts of the proposed development. After
Koontz, government entities need to consider monetary conditions for
potential regulatory takings, not just conditions that involve an easement
or dedication of property.
3. Does the Regulation Deprive the Owner of All Economically Viable
Uses of the Property?
If a regulation prohibits all economically viable or beneficial uses
of the land, it will likely constitute a “taking.” In this situation, the agency
can avoid liability for just compensation only if it can demonstrate that the
proposed uses are prohibited by the laws of nuisance or other preexisting
limitations on the use of the property. See Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal
Council, 505 U.S. 1003, 112 S. Ct. 2886 (1992).
Unlike 1 and 2 above, it is important to analyze the regulation’s
impact on the property as a whole, and not just the impact on a portion of
the property. See Murr v. Wisconsin, ___ U.S. ___,137 S. Ct. 1933 (2017).
It is also important to assess whether there is any profitable use of the
remaining property available. See Florida Rock Industries, Inc. v. United
States, 18 F.3d 1560 (Fed. Cir. 1994). The remaining use does not
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
11
necessarily have to be the owner’s planned use, a prior use or the highest
and best use of the property. One factor in this assessment is the degree to
which the regulatory action interferes with a property owner’s reasonable
investment-backed development expectations.
Carefully review regulations requiring that all of a particular
parcel of land be left substantially in its natural state. A prohibition of all
economically viable uses of the property is vulnerable to a takings
challenge. In some situations, however, there may be pre-existing
limitations on the use of property that could insulate the government from
takings liability.
4. Does the Regulation Have a Significant Impact on the
Landowner’s Economic Interest?
Carefully review regulations that have a significant impact on the
owner’s economic interest. Courts will often compare the value of
property before and after the impact of the challenged regulation.
Although a reduction in property value alone may not be a “taking,” a
severe reduction in property value often indicates a reduction or
elimination of reasonably profitable uses. Another economic factor courts
will consider is the degree to which the challenged regulation impacts any
development rights of the owner. As with 3, above, these economic factors
are normally applied to the property as a whole.
A moratorium as a planning tool may be used pursuant to Idaho
Code § 67-6523—Emergency Ordinances and Moratoriums (written
findings of imminent peril to public health, safety, or welfare; may not be
longer than 182 days); and Idaho Code § 67-6524—Interim Ordinances
and Moratoriums (written findings of imminent peril to public health,
safety, or welfare; the ordinance must state a definite period of time for the
moratorium). Absence of the written findings may prove fatal to a
determination of the reasonableness of the government action.
The Idaho moratorium provisions appear to be consistent with the
United States Supreme Court’s interpretation of moratorium as a planning
tool as well. In Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency, 535 U.S. 302, 122 S. Ct. 1465 (2002), the Court held
that planning moratoriums may be effective land use planning tools.
Generally, moratoriums in excess of one year should be viewed with
skepticism, but should be considered as one factor in the determination of
whether a taking has occurred. An essential element pursuant to Idaho law
is the issuance of written findings in conjunction with the issuance of
moratoriums. See Idaho Code §§ 67-6523 to 67-6524.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
12
5. Does the Regulation Deny a Fundamental Attribute of Ownership?
Regulations that deny the landowner a fundamental attribute of
ownership -- including the right to possess, exclude others and dispose of
all or a portion of the property -- are potential takings.
The United States Supreme Court held that requiring a public
easement for recreational purposes where the harm to be prevented was to
the flood plain was a “taking.” In finding this to be a “taking,” the Court
stated:
The city has never said why a public greenway, as
opposed to a private one, was required in the interest
of flood control. The difference to the petitioner, of
course, is the loss of her ability to exclude others. . . .
[T]his right to exclude others is “one of the most
essential sticks in the bundle of rights that are
commonly characterized as property.” Dolan v. City
of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374, 114 S. Ct. 2309 (1994).
The United States Supreme Court has also held that barring the
inheritance (an essential attribute of ownership) of certain interests in land
held by individual members of an Indian tribe constituted a “taking.”
Hodel v. Irving, 481 U.S. 704, 107 S. Ct. 2076 (1987).
More recently, the United States Supreme Court held that a
regulation requiring producers to reserve a certain percentage of their
raisin crop for government use constituted a per se physical taking of
property. Horne v. Dep’t of Agric., ___ U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 2419 (2015).
There, the Court reasoned that “[r]aisin growers subject to the reserve
requirement…lose the entire bundle of property rights in the appropriated
raisins—the rights to possess, use and dispose of them.”
Regulatory actions which closely resemble, or have the effects of
a physical invasion or occupation of property, are more likely to be found
to be takings. The greater the deprivation of use, the greater the likelihood
that a “taking” will be found.
A-1
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
APPENDIX A: SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL AND STATE CASES
Summaries of Significant Federal “Takings” Cases
Knick v. Twp. of Scott, Penn., ___ U.S. ___, 139 S. Ct. 2162 (2019).
A property owner brought a Fifth Amendment Takings claim
under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in federal court. The property owner had not
brought an inverse condemnation claim under state law, and prior to the
federal action, the township withdrew the violation notice and stayed
enforcement of the ordinance. The United States Supreme Court overruled
Williamson Cnty. Reg’l Planning Comm’n v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson
City, 473 U.S. 172, 105 S. Ct. 3108 (1985), and held that a property owner
may bring a takings claim under § 1983 regardless of whether the property
owner had previously sought compensation through procedures available
under state law. The Court concluded that a takings claim under § 1983
becomes ripe as soon as a government takes a person’s property for public
use without paying for it.
Murr v. Wisconsin, ___ U.S. ___, 137 S. Ct. 1933 (2017).
The United States Supreme Court held that a regulation
preventing the use of adjacent lots on the Lower St. Croix River as separate
building sites unless each lot had at least one acre of land suitable for
development did not effect a regulatory taking. The regulation at issue had
been adopted by the Wisconsin State Department of Natural Resources in
response to the Lower St. Croix River being designated a Wild and Scenic
River under federal law. Due to that designation, Wisconsin was required
to develop a management and development program for the river area.
The Court concluded that for purposes of a regulatory takings
analysis, the two adjacent lots must be evaluated as a single parcel because:
(1) the state regulation in effect merged the two lots; (2) the physical
characteristics, location, and relationship between the two lots made the
lots significantly more valuable together than when considered separately;
and (3) the characteristics of the lots made it reasonable to expect that the
range of their potential uses separately may be limited.
The Court concluded that the property owner had not been
deprived of all economically beneficial use of the property because the lots
together could still be used for residential purposes, including larger
residential improvements. The Court also concluded that the property
owner had not suffered a takings under the Penn Central test because the
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-2
property owner could not have reasonably expected to develop the lots
separately because the regulation predated their acquisition of both lots;
the appraisal of the property showed the value of the properties decreased
by less than ten percent; and the regulation was reasonable as part of a
coordinated effort by federal, state, and local governments to protect a
designated Wild and Scenic River.
Horne v. Dep’t of Agric., ___ U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 2419 (2015).
The United States Supreme Court considered a regulatory takings
challenge to the United States Department of Agriculture’s California
Raisin Marketing Order which required producers to reserve a percentage
of their raisin crop in certain years free of charge for the government to
dispose of in ways it determines are necessary to maintain an orderly
market. The Court held that the same standard should apply regardless of
whether the property at issue was personal or real property. The Court
then concluded that the reserve requirement imposed is a physical taking
not a regulatory taking of personal property as the reserve requirement
removes from the producer the entire bundle of property rights in the
reserved raisins. Additionally, because the reserve rule effectuated a per
se physical taking, the fact that the producers received the value of the
reserved raisins if sold by the government and that the producers could
choose to plant different crops did not weigh against the finding of a
taking.
Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Mgmt. Dist., 570 U.S. 595, 133 S. Ct.
2586 (2013).
The United States Supreme Court considered a regulatory takings
challenge to a water management district’s decision to require a landowner
to fund off-site wetland mitigation as a condition of a land-use permit. The
Court reversed the Florida Supreme Court’s holding that the regulatory
takings analysis did not apply to the water management district’s decision
because the condition at issue was a demand for money. The Court held
that the constitutional takings analysis applied to monetary exaction on
land-use permits. Additionally, the Court held that the constitutional
takings analysis applied equally whether a permit was granted with an
allegedly unconstitutional condition or denied because the applicant failed
to agree to the allegedly unconstitutional condition. The Court emphasized
that while a government entity may choose whether and how a permit
applicant is required to mitigate the impacts of a proposed development, it
may not leverage its interests in mitigation to pursue governmental
interests that lack an essential nexus and rough proportionality to those
impacts.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-3
Stop the Beach Renourishment, Inc. v. Fla. Dept. of Env. Prot., 130 S.
Ct. 2592, 177 L. Ed. 2d 184 (2010).
The United States Supreme Court considered a judicial taking
challenge to a decision by the Florida Supreme Court. A Florida state
agency granted a permit under state law to restore a beach. The beach was
eroded by hurricanes, and the permit would have allowed the restoration
of the beach by adding sand to the beach. A non-profit corporation
comprised of beachfront landowners challenged the agency decision in
state court arguing the decision eliminated the littoral rights of landowners
to receive accretions to their property and the right to have contact of their
property with water remain intact. The Florida Supreme Court reversed a
lower court and held the state law authorizing the beach restoration did not
unconstitutionally deprive littoral rights. The non-profit corporation
claimed the Florida Supreme Court’s decision itself effectuated a taking of
its members’ littoral rights.
The United States Supreme Court unanimously held that the
Florida Supreme Court did not take private property without just
compensation in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. The
Court recognized two property law principles under Florida law:
1. The State owned the seabed and was allowed to fill in its own
seabed; and
2. When an avulsion exposes land seaward of littoral property
that had previously been submerged, the land belongs to the State even if
it interrupts the littoral owner’s contact with water.
Therefore, when the State filled in previously submerged land for
beach restoration, the State treated it as an avulsion for purposes of
ownership. The non-profit members’ right to accretions was therefore
subordinate to the State’s right to fill in its land. The United States
Supreme Court did not reach a majority on the judicial taking question.
Kelo, et al. v. City of New London, Connecticut, et al., 545 U.S. 469,
125 S. Ct. 2655 (2005).
The United States Supreme Court held that a city’s exercise of
eminent domain power in furtherance of its economic development plan
satisfied the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment requirement that a taking be
for public use. To effectuate its plan, the city invoked a state statute that
specifically authorized the use of eminent domain to promote economic
development. The Court observed that promoting economic development
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-4
is a traditional and long accepted governmental function that serves a
public purpose. Although the condemned land would not be open in its
entirety to actual use by the general public, the purpose of its taking
satisfied the constitutional requirement that a taking be for public use.
In response to the Kelo decision, the Fifty-eighth Idaho
Legislature enacted House Bill No. 555 adding a new section, 7-701A, to
the Idaho Code that specifically prohibits the use of eminent domain power
to promote or effectuate economic development except where allowed by
existing statute.
Lingle v. Chevron U.S.A. Inc., 544 U.S. 528, 125 S.Ct. 2074 (2005).
The United State Supreme Court reversed and remanded a
decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluding that a Hawaii
statute limiting rent that oil companies could charge dealers leasing
company-owned service stations was an unconstitutional taking. In so
holding the United States Supreme Court abrogated prior decisions that
held that a government regulation of private property that does not
substantially advance legitimate state interests effects a taking. The Court
concluded that the “substantially advances” test was not an appropriate
regulatory takings test because it reveals nothing about the magnitude or
character of the burden a particular regulation imposes upon private
property rights or provide any information about how any regulatory
burden is distributed among property owners. The Court was also
concerned that such an inquiry invited courts to substitute their predictive
judgments for those of elected legislatures and expert agencies.
The United States Supreme Court did, however, indicate that the
determination of whether a dedication of property substantially advances
a government interest may be appropriate in situations where a
government entity includes a dedication of property as a condition of
approving a permit. In that situation the question is not whether the
exaction substantially advances some legitimate state interest, but whether
the exaction substantially advances the same interest that would allow the
government entity to deny the permit altogether. Lacking this connection,
the dedication of property would be just as unconstitutional as it would be
if imposed outside the permit context.
Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council, Inc., et al. v. Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency, et al., 535 U.S. 302, 122 S. Ct. 1465 (2002).
The United States Supreme Court held that imposition of a
moratorium lasting thirty-two (32) months restricting development within
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-5
the Lake Tahoe Basin was not a compensable taking. The Court noted the
importance of Lake Tahoe in that it is one of only three lakes with such
transparency of water due in large part to the absence of nitrogen and
phosphorous which in turn results in a lack of algae. The Court also noted
the rapid development of the Lake Tahoe area. In noting this development,
the Court recognized the uniqueness of the area, and the importance of
planning tools to the preservation of Lake Tahoe. The Court further noted
that the geographic dimensions of the property affected, as well as the term
in years, must be considered when determining whether a taking has
occurred. Finally, the interest in protecting the decisional process is
stronger when the process is applied to regional planning as opposed to a
single parcel of land. Noteworthy is the extensive process that was
followed by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency along with the
uniqueness of the Lake Tahoe region. The balance of interests favored the
use of moratorium.
Dolan v. City of Tigard, 512 U.S. 374, 114 S. Ct. 2309 (1994).
In this case, the United States Supreme Court held that
reconditioning an issuance of a permit on the dedication of bond to public
use violated the Fifth Amendment. The city council conditioned Dolan’s
permit to expand her store and pave her parking lot upon her agreement to
dedicate land for a public greenway and a pedestrian/bicycle pathway. The
expressed purpose for the public greenway requirement was to protect the
flood plain. The pedestrian/bicycle path was intended to relieve traffic
congestion. The United States Supreme Court held that the city had to
make “some sort of individualized determination that the required
dedication [was] related both in nature and extent to the impact of the
proposed development” in order to justify the requirements and avoid a
“takings” claim. In this case, the Court held that the city had not done so.
It held that the public or private character of the greenway would have no
impact on the flood plain and that the city had not shown that Dolan’s
customers would use the pedestrian/bicycle path to relieve congestion.
Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council, 505 U.S. 1003, 112 S. Ct.
2886 (1992).
Lucas was a challenge to the 1988 South Carolina Beach Front
Management Act. The stated purpose of this Act was to protect life and
property by creating a storm barrier, providing habitat for endangered
species and to serve as a tourism industry. To accomplish the stated
purposes, the Act prohibited or severely limited development within
certain critical areas of the state’s beach-dune system.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-6
Before the Act’s passage, David Lucas bought two South
Carolina beach front lots intending to develop them. As required by the
Act, the South Carolina Coastal Council drew a “baseline” that prevented
Mr. Lucas from developing his beach front property. Mr. Lucas sued the
council, alleging its actions under the Act constituted a “taking” requiring
compensation under the Fifth Amendment. The trial court agreed,
awarding him $1,232,387.50. A divided South Carolina Supreme Court
reversed, however, holding that the Act was within the scope of the
nuisance exception.
The United States Supreme Court reversed. Justice Scalia’s
majority opinion held that a regulation which “denies all economically
beneficial or productive use of land” will be a “taking” unless the
government can show that the proposed uses of the property are prohibited
by nuisance laws or other pre-existing limitations on the use of property.
This opinion noted that such total takings will be “relatively rare” and the
usual balancing approach for determining takings will apply in the
majority of cases.
Hodel v. Irving, 481 U.S. 704, 107 S. Ct. 2076 (1987).
Where the character of the government regulation destroys “one
of the most essential” rights of ownership -- the right to devise property,
especially to one’s family -- this is an unconstitutional “taking” without
just compensation.
In 1889, portions of Sioux Indian reservation land were “allotted”
by Congress to individual tribal members (held in trust by the United
States). Allotted parcels could be willed to the heirs of the original
allottees. As time passed, the original 160-acre allotments became
fractionated, sometimes into very small parcels. Good land often lay
fallow, amidst great poverty, because of the difficulties in managing
property held in this manner. In 1983, Congress passed legislation that
provided that any undivided fractional interest that represented less than
two percent of the tract’s acreage and which earned less than $100 in the
preceding year would revert to the tribe. Under the statute, tribal members
who lost property as a result of this action would receive no compensation.
Tribal members challenged the statute. The United States Supreme Court
held this was an unconstitutional “taking” for which compensation was
required.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-7
Nollan v. California Coastal Comm’n, 483 U.S. 825, 107 S. Ct. 3141
(1987).
The United States Supreme Court held that it was an
unconstitutional “taking” to condition the issuance of a permit to land
owners on the grant of an easement to the public to use their beach.
James and Marilyn Nollan, the prospective purchasers of a beach
front lot in California, sought a permit to tear down a bungalow on the
property and replace it with a larger house. The property lay between two
public beaches. The Nollans were granted a permit, subject to the
condition that they allow the public an easement to pass up and down their
beach. On appeal, the United States Supreme Court held that such a permit
condition is only valid if it substantially advances legitimate state interests.
Since there was no indication that the Nollans’ house plans interfered in
any way with the public’s ability to walk up and down the beach, there was
no “nexus” between any public interest that might be harmed by the
construction of the house and the permit condition. Lacking this
connection, the required easement was just as unconstitutional as it would
be if imposed outside the permit context. (The Court noted that protecting
views from the highway by limiting the size of the structure or banning
fences may have been lawful.)
Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp., 458 U.S. 419, 102
S. Ct. 3164 (1982).
The United States Supreme Court ruled that a statute that required
landlords to allow the installation of cable television on their property was
unconstitutional. The Court concluded that “a permanent physical
occupation authorized by government is a ‘taking’ without regard to the
public interest that it may serve.” The Court reasoned that an owner suffers
a special kind of injury when a “stranger” invades and occupies the
owner’s property, and that such an occupation is “qualitatively more
severe” than a regulation on the use of the property. The installation in
question required only a small amount of space to attach equipment and
wires on the roof and outside walls of the building.
Penn Central Transp. Co. v. City of New York, 438 U.S. 104, 98 S. Ct.
2646 (1978).
The United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of
a New York City historic preservation ordinance under which the city had
declared Grand Central Station a “landmark.” In response to Penn
Central’s takings claim, the United States Supreme Court noted that there
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-8
was a valid public purpose to the city ordinance, and that Penn Central
could still make a reasonable return on its investment by retaining the
station as it was. Penn Central argued that the landmark ordinance would
deny it the value of its “preexisting air rights” to build above the terminal.
The Court found that it must consider the impact of the ordinance upon the
property as a whole, not just upon “air rights.” Further, under the
ordinance in question, these rights were transferable to other lots, so they
might not be lost.
Florida Rock Industries, Inc. v. United States, 18 F.3d 1560 (Fed. Cir.
1994) cert. denied, 513 U.S. 1109, 115 S. Ct. 898 (1995) (Florida Rock
IV).
This is a Clean Water Act case. There have been several court
decisions, and the most recent one affirms the holding that in the absence
of a public nuisance, economic impact alone may be determinative of
whether a regulatory “taking” under the Fifth Amendment has occurred.
If the regulation categorically prohibits all economically beneficial use of
land, destroying its economic value for private ownership, and the use
prohibited is not a public nuisance, the court held that regulation has the
effect equivalent to permanent physical occupation, and there is, without
more, a compensable “taking.”
In 1972, a mining company purchased 1,560 acres of wetlands
(formerly part of the Everglades, but now excluded by road, canal and
levee) for the purposes of mining limestone. In 1980, the company applied
to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a “section 404” permit for the
dredging and filling involved in the mining operation. The Corps of
Engineers denied the application, primarily for the purpose of protecting
the wetlands. While several courts had previously held that the United
States had unconstitutionally taken the mining company’s property, and
required the government to compensate the company, the Federal Circuit
ruled that the evidence did not support a finding that the permit denial
prohibited all economically beneficial use of the land or destroyed its
value. On remand, the Court of Federal Claims held that permit denial
resulted in a compensable partial regulatory taking of property and that a
“partial taking” occurs when a regulation singles out a few property
owners to bear burdens, while benefits are spread widely across the
community. Florida Rock Industries, Inc. v. United States, 45 Fed.Cl. 21,
49 ERC 1292 (1999).
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-9
Summaries of Significant Idaho “Takings” Cases
REGULATORY TAKINGS UPDATES
N. Idaho Bldg. Contractors Assoc. v. City of Hayden, 164 Idaho 530,
432 P. 3d 976 (2018).
Plaintiff brought a claim alleging that a city’s sewer
connection/capitalization fee was an unlawful regulatory taking. The
Idaho Supreme Court held that the plaintiffs were not required to file a
notice of claim under Idaho Code §§ 50-219 and 6-906 to maintain a claim
against a city based upon the Takings Clause in the United States
Constitution. The Court also concluded that the plaintiff’s federal taking
claim was not barred by failing to file a written request for a regulatory
takings analysis under Idaho Code § 67-8003. The Court concluded that
when the plaintiff filed the complaint the Regulatory Takings Act only
applied to owners of real property.
The Court’s reasoning that Idaho Code § 67-8003 only applies to
real property is likely no longer applicable since the Idaho Legislature
passed Senate Bill No. 1325, amending Idaho Code § 67-8003 to change
the term “real property” to “private property.” 2016 Idaho Sess. Laws ch.
225, sec. 1, p. 620.
Hehr v. City of McCall, 155 Idaho 92, 305 P.3d 536 (2013).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that the developer’s claims for
inverse condemnation under state law were barred under Idaho Code
§§ 50-219 and 6-906 because the developer failed to file a notice of claim
with the city within the required 180 day period. The Court also held that
the developer’s federal takings claims were not ripe because the
contribution was made by voluntarily agreement, not as a final decision of
the city regarding the application of the ordinances to the property at issue.
Additionally the Court found that the developer failed to exhaust its
remedies because it did not request a regulatory takings analysis under
Idaho Code § 67-8003.
The Court’s reasoning that the federal takings claim was not ripe
is likely no longer applicable after the United States Supreme Court’s
decision in Knick v. Twp. of Scott, Penn., ___ U.S. ___, 139 S. Ct. 2162
(2019). Additionally, in 2016, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill
No. 1325, amending Idaho Code § 67-8003 to specifically provide that a
private property owner is not required to submit a written request for a
regulatory takings analysis as a prerequisite to seeking other legal and
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-10
equitable remedies including payment of just compensation. 2016 Idaho
Sess. Laws ch. 225, sec. 1, p. 620.
Alpine Vill. Co. v. City of McCall, 154 Idaho 930, 303 P.3d 617 (2013).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that the developers claims for
inverse condemnation under state law were barred under Idaho Code
§§ 50-219 and 6-906 because the developer failed to file a notice of claim
with the city within the required 180 day period. The Idaho Supreme Court
also upheld the dismissal of the developer’s federal claims for unlawful
taking concluding that the claims were not ripe because the city had made
no final decision as to the application of the ordinance to the development
and because the developer had not requested a regulatory takings analysis
under Idaho Code § 67-8003.
The Court’s reasoning that the federal takings claim was not ripe
is likely no longer applicable after the United States Supreme Court’s
decision in Knick v. Twp. Of Scott, Penn., ___ U.S. ___, 139 S. Ct. 2162
(2019). Additionally, in 2016, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill
No. 1325, amending Idaho Code § 67-8003 to specifically provide that a
private property owner is not required to submit a written request for a
regulatory takings analysis as a prerequisite to seeking other legal and
equitable remedies including payment of just compensation. 2016 Idaho
Sess. Laws ch. 225, sec. 1, p. 620.
Buckskin Props., Inc v. Valley Cty., 154 Idaho 486, 300 P.3d 18 (2013).
The Idaho Supreme Court considered a regulatory takings
challenge brought by a developer challenging conditions contained in an
agreement between the county and the developer that the developer would
contribute capital to road impact mitigation for its proposed development.
The Idaho Supreme Court ruled that a governmental entity had authority
to enter into a voluntary agreement with a developer for the developer to
fund and construct capital improvements that will facilitate the developer’s
development plans.
The Court also concluded that there was no taking because the
capital contribution condition had been initially proposed by the developer
in its application and the developer did not object to the inclusion of the
condition by seeking judicial review of the county’s permitting decision
under the Local Land Use Planning Act or by requesting a regulatory
takings analysis.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-11
The Court’s reasoning that there was no takings claim because
the developer did not timely request a regulatory takings analysis is no
longer applicable. In 2016, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Bill No.
1325, amending Idaho Code § 67-8003 to specifically provide that a
private property owner is not required to submit a written request for a
regulatory takings analysis as a prerequisite to seeking other legal and
equitable remedies including payment of just compensation. 2016 Idaho
Sess. Laws ch. 225, sec. 1, p. 620.
City of Coeur d’Alene v. Simpson, 142 Idaho 839, 136 P.3d 310 (2006).
The Idaho Supreme Court ruled that regulatory taking claims
were ripe, even though the landowners had not sought a variance under the
ordinance. A regulatory takings claim accrues when the burden of the
ordinance on the landowners’ property is known, not upon the enactment
of an ordinance.
Generally, if an ordinance provides a procedure for a variance,
the landowner must seek the variance before filing a regulatory takings
claim. The Court explained that landowners’ failure to seek a variance
was not fatal here because the city did not have discretion under the
ordinances to grant a variance. The requirement for a variance was not
fatal because a variance in this situation could not have provided the
property owners with relief under the stated purposes of the city’s
ordinances.
The Court also considered the valuation of property when the
basis for regulatory takings claims is that an ordinance deprives the
property of all economically productive or beneficial uses, or alternatively,
that the value of the property is diminished by city ordinances. The Court
explained that the task is to compare the value of the property taken with
the value that remains in the property. This process requires identifying
the property to be valued as realistically and fairly as possible in light of
the regulatory scheme and factual circumstances. In this case, the property
in question was divided during the course of the litigation, and the parcels
owned by separate entities. The lower court concluded that the transfer of
the property had no effect on valuation and dismissed the regulatory
takings claims. The Idaho Supreme Court reversed and remanded,
concluding that, based on the current record, it was improper for the district
court to disregard the separate ownership of the parcels for the purpose of
determining the property taken and the value of the property.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-12
Inama v. Boise County, 138 Idaho 324, 63 P.3d 450 (2003).
Boise County was not obligated to compensate the plaintiff for
the loss of his front end loader because the Idaho Disaster Preparedness
Act of 1975 created immunity for a subdivision of the state engaged in
disaster relief activities following a declaration of disaster emergency.
First, the Idaho Supreme Court rejects the plaintiff’s argument that the
scope of immunity granted by Idaho Code § 46-1017 is narrowed by Idaho
Code § 46-1012(3), which provides for compensation for property “only
if the property was commandeered or otherwise used in coping with a
disaster emergency and its use or destruction was ordered by the governor
or his representative.” The Court held that the statute was “clear and
unambiguous,” and since Idaho Code § 46-1017 does not specifically limit
the scope of immunity to damages compensable under Idaho Code § 46-
1012, Idaho Code § 46-1017 grants Boise County immunity from
damages. Second, the Court held that compensation is not allowed for
inverse condemnation under art. I, sec. 14 of the Idaho Constitution
because of the immunity granted under Idaho Code § 46-1017.
McCuskey v. Canyon County Comm’rs, 128 Idaho 213, 912 P.2d 100
(1996).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that when a regulation of private
property that amounts to a taking is later invalidated, the subsequent
invalidation converts the taking to a “temporary” taking. In such cases,
the government must pay the landowner for the value of the use of the land
during the period that the invalid regulation was in effect.
The Idaho Supreme Court also discussed the application of the
statute of limitations to takings and inverse condemnation actions. The
Court ruled that a taking occurs as of the time that the full extent of the
plaintiff’s loss of use and enjoyment of the property becomes apparent. As
a result, the Court ruled that the statute of limitations begins to run when
the plaintiff’s loss of use and enjoyment of the property first becomes
apparent, even if the full extent of damages cannot be assessed until a later
date.
Sprenger Grubb & Assoc. v. Hailey, 127 Idaho 576, 903 P.2d 741
(1995).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that the City of Hailey’s decision
to rezone a parcel of land from “Business” to “Limited Business” was not
a taking because some “residual value” remained in the property. The
rezone reduced the value of the plaintiff’s property from $3.3 million to
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-13
$2.5 million. In addition, the Idaho Supreme Court held that the rezone
did not violate the “proportionality” standard set out in Dolan v. City of
Tigard, 512 U.S. 374, 114 S. Ct. 2309 (1994), because none of the
plaintiff’s property was dedicated to a public use.
Brown v. City of Twin Falls, 124 Idaho 39, 855 P.2d 876 (1993).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that the placement of road median
barriers by city and state, which restrained business traffic flow to a
shopping center, was exercise of police power and did not amount to
compensable taking, since landowners had no property right in the way
traffic flowed on streets abutting their property.
Hayden Pines Water Co. v. Idaho Public Utilities Commission, 122
Idaho 356, 834 P.2d 873 (1992).
Without extensive discussion, the Idaho Supreme Court held that
an Idaho Public Utilities Commission order requiring a water company to
perform certain accounting functions (at an estimated cost of $15,000 per
year), without considering those costs in the rate proceeding, was an
unconstitutional “taking.”
Coeur d’Alene Garbage Service v. Coeur d’Alene, 114 Idaho 588, 759
P.2d 879 (1988).
The just compensation clause of the Idaho State Constitution art.
I, sec. 14, requires compensation be paid by a city, where that city either
by annexation or by contract prevents a company from continuing service
to its customers. The Idaho Supreme Court held that a company has a
property interest protected by the Idaho Constitution in continuing to
conduct business. In this case, a garbage company already operating in
the city and providing garbage service to customers lost the right to
continue its business when the city entered into an exclusive garbage
collection contract with another company, permitting only that company
to operate within the annexed areas.
Ada County v. Henry, 105 Idaho 263, 668 P.2d 994 (1983).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that property owners had no
“takings” claim where the owners were aware of zoning restrictions before
they purchased the property, even though the zoning ordinance reduced
their property’s value.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-14
Nettleton v. Higginson, 98 Idaho 87, 558 P.2d 1048 (1977).
In times of shortage, a call on water that allows water right
holders with junior priority dates to use water while senior holders of
beneficial use water rights are not allowed to use water, is not a taking
protected by the just compensation clause of the Idaho Constitution.
Dawson Enterprises, Inc. v. Blaine County, 98 Idaho 506, 567 P.2d 1257
(1977).
A zoning ordinance that deprives an owner of the highest and best
use of his land is not, absent more, a “taking.” There are two methods for
finding a zoning ordinance unconstitutional. First, it may be shown that it
is not “substantially related to the public health, safety, or welfare.”
Second, it may be shown that the “zoning ordinance precludes the use of .
. . property for any reasonable purpose.”
State ex rel. Andrus v. Click, 97 Idaho 791, 554 P.2d 969 (1976).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that where statutory or regulatory
provisions are reasonably related to an enactment’s legitimate purpose,
provisions regulating property uses are within the legitimate police powers
of the state and are not a “taking” of private property without
compensation. In this case, the Court upheld the permit, bonding, and
restoration requirements of the Dredge and Placer Mining Protection Act.
It found that they were reasonably related to the enactment’s purpose in
protecting state lands and watercourses from pollution and destruction and
in preserving these resources for the enjoyment and benefit of all people.
Boise Redevelopment Agency v. Yick Kong Corporation, 94 Idaho 876,
499 P.2d 575 (1972).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that the Idaho Constitution grants
a power of eminent domain much broader than that granted in most other
state constitutions. According to the Idaho Supreme Court, even
completely private irrigation and mining businesses can use eminent
domain. It held that the state, both through the power of eminent domain
and the police powers, may protect the public from disease, crime, and
“blight and ugliness.”
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-15
Unity Light & Power Co. v. City of Burley, 92 Idaho 499, 445 P.2d 720
(1968).
Once a supplier of a service lawfully enters into an area to provide
that service, annexation by a city does not authorize an ouster of that
supplier from that area without condemnation.
Johnston v. Boise City, 87 Idaho 44, 390 P.2d 291 (1964).
Where government exercises its authority under its police powers
and the exercise is reasonable and not arbitrary, a harmful effect to private
property resulting from that exercise alone is insufficient to justify an
action for damages. The court must weigh the relative interests of the
public and that of the individual to arrive at a just balance in order that
government will not be unduly restricted in the proper exercise of its
functions for the public good, while at the same time giving due effect to
the policy of the eminent domain clause of ensuring the individual against
an unreasonable loss occasioned by the exercise of governmental power.
Roark v. City of Caldwell, 87 Idaho 557, 394 P.2d 641 (1964).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that certain height restrictions,
which limited use of private land adjacent to an airport to agricultural uses
or to single family dwelling units, was an unconstitutional “taking” if no
compensation was provided. The Court held that a landowner’s property
right in the reasonable airspace above his land cannot be taken for public
use without reasonable compensation.
Mabe v. State, 83 Idaho 222, 360 P.2d 799 (1961).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that destroying or impairing a
property owner’s right to business access to his or her property constitutes
a “taking” of property whether accompanied by actual occupation of or
confiscation of the property.
Anderson v. Cummings, 81 Idaho 327, 340 P.2d 1111 (1959).
The Idaho Supreme Court recognized individual water rights are
real property rights protected from “taking” without compensation.
Hughes v. State, 80 Idaho 286, 328 P.2d 397 (1958).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that private property of all
classifications is protected under the Idaho Constitution just compensation
clause.
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
Appendix A: Significant Federal and State Cases
A-16
Robison v. Hotel & Restaurant Employees Local #782, 35 Idaho 418,
207 P. 132 (1922).
The Idaho Supreme Court held that the right to conduct a business
is a property interest protected under the Idaho Constitution just
compensation clause.
B-1
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
APPENDIX B: REQUEST FOR REGULATORY TAKING
ANALYSIS
Recommended Form for:
REQUEST FOR TAKING ANALYSIS
Name: ___________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________
City: _________________________ Zip Code: _____________
County: ___________________________________________________
1. Background Information
This form satisfies the written request requirement for a regulatory
taking analysis from a state agency or local governmental entity pursuant
to Idaho Code § 67-8003(2). The owner of the property subject to the
government action must file this with the clerk or secretary of the agency
whose act is questioned within twenty-eight (28) days of the final
decision concerning the matter at issue. A regulatory taking analysis is
considered public information. Such an analysis is to be performed in
accordance with the checklist established by the Attorney General of the
State of Idaho pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-8003(1). See page 8 of the
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines for a description of the
checklist.
2. Description of Property
a. Location of Property:
________________________________________________________
b. Legal Description of Property:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. Description of Act in Question
a. Date Property was Affected:
________________________________________________________
b. Description of How Property was Affected:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
c. Regulation or Act in Question:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
d. Are You the Only Affected Property Owner? Yes No
e. State Agency or Local Governmental Entity Affecting Property:
________________________________________________________
f. Address of Agency or Local Governmental Entity:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
C-1
Idaho Regulatory Takings Act Guidelines
APPENDIX C: REGULATORY TAKINGS CHECKLIST
State of Idaho
Office of the Attorney General
Regulatory Takings Checklist
Yes No
1 Does the Regulation or Action Result in Either a
Permanent or Temporary Physical Occupation of
Private Property?
2 (a) Does the Regulation or Action Require a
Property Owner to Either Dedicate a Portion of
Property or to Grant an Easement?
(b) If Yes, is There a “Nexus and Rough
Proportionality” Between the Property that the
Government Demands and the Impacts of the
Property Use Being Regulated?
3 Does the Regulation or Action Require the Owner
to Expend Funds to Address Items That Lack a
“Rough Proportionality” to the Social Costs of the
Proposed Use of Property?
4 Does the Regulation Deprive the Owner of All
Economically Viable Uses of the Property?
5 Does the Regulation Have a Significant Impact on
the Landowner’s Economic Interest?
6 Does the Regulation Deny a Fundamental Attribute
of Ownership?
Remember: Although a question may be answered affirmatively, it does not
mean that there has been a “taking.” Rather, it means there could be a
constitutional issue and that proposed action should be carefully reviewed
with legal counsel.
This checklist should be included with a requested analysis
pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-8003(2).