Supreme Court Divided Over Tax Foreclosure Dispute
The Supreme Court hears a case that pits property rights against the government's authority to seize homes for unpaid taxes and sell them at auction.
The Supreme Court appeared divided during a case that weighs the rights of homeowners against the government's ability to seize properties for unpaid taxes and sell them at auction for less than the fair market value. At the heart of the issue is whether this practice violates the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of just compensation for private property taken for public use.
The case centers around a Michigan county's decision to foreclose on a home owned by Roslyn Dillon after she fell behind on her property taxes. The county then sold the home at auction for $100,000, even though Dillon owed only $8,000 in back taxes. Dillon argues this amounted to an unconstitutional "taking" of her property without just compensation.
Source: NPR
