U.S. Sixth Circuit - The FindLaw 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries Blog

Recently in Property Law Category

City Has Qualified Immunity in Foreclosure Warrantless Entry Suit

| No TrackBacks

Pets are the forgotten victims of the housing market collapse. While we hear the stories of struggling families living on the streets or in their cars, it is easy to overlook the heartache those families face when deciding how, or if, they can care for their four-legged friends when they no longer have a home.

Today, we have a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals case that involves such a problem, and demonstrates how a city's missteps in a foreclosure can lead to warrantless entry claims and qualified immunity defenses.

Picture this: A borrower realizes that she is going to lose her home. She leaves the house, and all her worldly possessions behind. Hardest of all, she leaves her cats.

Ripeness issue in an action under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

Miles Christi Religious Order v. Township of Northville, 09-1618, concerned an action brought by a religious order and two of its members under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the Federal and State Constitutions against a town and its officials over a dispute involving the application of several zoning ordinances to a residence that the order owns in the town.



Gas company's claim, that a county's decision regarding an underground pipelines constitutes a taking of property which just compensation must be provided, dismissed for lack of jurisdiction

Texas Gas Transmissions, LLC v. Butler County of Bd. of Comm'r, 09-3743, concerned a suit for declaratory and injunctive relief, brought by Butler County and Texas Gas, seeking a declaration of the priority of their respective property interests and of the county's authority to order Texas Gas to strengthen or remove the pipelines underneath a certain road at issue at the company's expense.

Warrior Sports, Inc. v. Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n, 09-1395, involved a suit brought by a manufacturer and distributor of lacrosse sticks against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), claiming that, by changing the rule that governs the size of lacrosse stick heads approved for use in NCAA-sanctioned play, the NCAA violated the Sherman Act and tortiously interfered with plaintiff's business.

 

US v. Carradine, 08-3220, concerned a challenge to a defendant's conviction and sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm with intent to distribute.  In affirming, the court held that the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying his motion for self-representation.  The court also held that defendant cannot demonstrate that the district court committed plain error by proceeding with sentencing rather than providing him more time to review a report, and that the district court did not commit plain error by ordering that defendant pay the costs of impaneling the jury.  However, because the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 contains no express statement that it is retroactive, nor can any such express intent from its plain language be inferred, the district court's imposition of the 60-month mandatory minimum sentence is affirmed.

 

US v. People First of Tennessee, 09-5474, concerned a challenge to the district court's denial of the State of Tennessee's motion under Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 60(b)(5), requesting the court to vacate the injunctive relief and dismiss the case, in a case arising from the district court's original 1993 ruling that the state was violating the substantive due process rights of mentally retarded residents at a state operated home for mentally retarded individuals.  In affirming, the court held that the state has not put forward a single case or statute that could qualify as the significant change in law required to satisfy its initial burden under Rufo v. Inmates of Suffolk County Jail, 502 U.S. 367 (1992), and in light of this failure, the district court did not abuse its discretion when it refused to revisit the original judgment.

  • Spengler v. Worthington Cylinder, 08-3110, concerned a challenge to the district court's denial of defendant's Rule 50(b) motion and jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff, in plaintiff's age discrimination suit against his former employer under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Ohio's anti-discrimination statute.  In afirming, the court held that the district court did not err in allowing plaintiff's case to proceed to trial as the language in plaintiff's EEOC charge sets forth sufficient facts to put the EEOC on notice of plaintiff's retaliation claim despite his failure to check the "Retaliation" box on the charge.  The court held that plaintiff's judicial complaint set forth facts establishing a prima facie case of retaliation under the ADEA, and that the totality of the evidence in the record does not lead reasonable minds to but one conclusion in favor of the defendant on the retaliation claim.  Also, because plaintiff established the amount of his damages and defendant failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that plaintiff was not entitled to those damages, damages were properly awarded.  Lastly, the court held that the jury could have reasonably concluded that the supervisor's conduct was willful and therefore, liquidated damages were warranted.

    City of Cleveland v., Ameriquest Mortgage Sec., Inc., 09-3608, concerned City of Cleveland's public nuisance suit against twenty-two financial entities, claiming that defendants are responsible for a large portion of the subprime lending market in Cleveland and nationally that led to a foreclosure crisis in Cleveland.  In affirming district court's judgment in favor of the defendants, the court held that the joint motion precludes Cleveland from now arguing that the district court should have remanded this suit, and the district court properly permitted this case to proceed in federal court.  The court further held that the connection between the alleged harm and the alleged misconduct it too indirect to warrant recovery.

    Related Resources:

    Kyle v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., No. 09-3628, the Sixth Circuit faced a challenge to the district court's affirmance of ALJ's determination that claimant was not disabled for Social Security purposes.  In affirming, the court held that the ALJ's factual determination that claimant possessed supervisory skills transferable to other jobs was supported by substantial evidence.  The court further held that the jobs to which the vocational expert testified claimant could transfer were consistent with the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

    Wedgewood Ltd. P'ship I. v. Township of Liberty, No. 08-4446, concerned a property owner's 42 U.S.C. section 1983 suit against a town and its Board of Trustees, arising from an adoption of a zoning ordinance that prevented the construction of a Wal-Mart on plaintiff's property.  In affirming the district court's order granting plaintiff's motion for a permanent injunction, the court held that the town violated plaintiff's procedural due process rights when it adopted zoning instructions that amended the planned development without providing plaintiff without notice and an opportunity to be heard.

    Related Resources:

     

    Moulton v. US Steel Corp., No. 08-2311

    | No TrackBacks

    In a class action lawsuit by the neighbors of a steel mill owned by United States Steel Corporation, district court's approval of a settlement is affirmed for the most part where: 1) the district court did not abuse its discretion in approving the release of the continuing-nuisance claims as the release is not far-reaching and it is not unfair, unreasonable or inadequate; 2) class-member awards of $300 is not unconscionably low as this objection is based on the misconception that the agreement releases all future tort claims; and 3) district court's approval of the attorney's fees award is vacated and remanded for further explanation. Finally, district court did not err by corralling the extent of an attorney's involvement in the case and the rest of his objections are rejected.     

    Read Moulton v. US Steel Corp., No. 08-2311

    Appellate Information

    Argued: August 4, 2009

    Decided and Filed: September 21, 2009

    Judges

    Opinion by Judge Sutton 

    Counsel

    For Appellant:  James P. Murphy, Berry Moorman PC

    For Appellee:  J. Van Carson, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP.

    Lindsay v. Yates, No. 08-3633

    | No TrackBacks

    In an action alleging racial discrimination in the sale of real property, summary judgment for defendants is reversed where a prima facie case of housing discrimination is established whenever the actions taken by the property owner lead one to reasonably infer, if such actions remain unexplained, that it is more likely than not that such actions were based on discriminatory criterion such as race.

    Read Lindsay v. Yates, No. 08-3633

    Appellate Information

    Argued: June 18, 2009

    Decided and Filed: August 21, 2009

    Judges

    Opinion by Judge Keith

    Counsel

    For Appellants:

    Edward L. Gilbert, Law Offices, Akron, OH

    For Appellees:

    Maura L. Hughes, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP, Cleveland, OH