Supreme Court Report

Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →

James M. McMaster, et ux. v. Township of Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Paid petition · Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, No. 628 C.D. 2016 · judgment March 13, 2017

Certiorari denied · March 19, 2018
Pre-decision estimate: 0% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Questions presented

i Q U E S TI O N S P R E S E N T E D I n 1 9 8 8, t h e T o w n s hi p of B e n s al e m i n st all e d a st o r m d r ai n a g e s y st e m t h at i n a d v e rt e ntl y r e s ult e d i n t h e c r e ati o n of a m a k e s hift d e f a ct o st o r m w at e r b a si n d u e t o t h e p h y si c al fl o o di n g of 4 0 % of t h e p r o p e rt y of P etiti o n e r s J a m e s a n d M a r y Ell e n M c M a st e r f o r o v e r 2 0 y e a r s. T h e M c M a st e r s s u e d f o r c o m p e n s ati o n. I g n o ri n g t h e T a ki n g s Cl a u s e of t h e Fift h A m e n d m e nt of t h e U nit e d St at e s C o n sti t uti o n, t h e T a ki n g s Cl a u s e s of t h e P e n n s yl v a ni a C o n stit uti o n a n d t h e h ol di n g i n A r k a n s a s G a m e & Fi s h C o m mi s si o n v. U nit e d St at e s , 1 3 3 S. Ct. 5 1 1 ( 2 0 1 2), t h e P e n n s yl v a ni a c o u rt s d e ni e d r eli ef b e c a u s e t h e fl o o di n g w a s o nl y f o r p a rt of t h e y e a r, w a s n ot i nt e nti o n al a n d aff e ct e d o nl y a p o rti o n of t h e p r o p e rt y a n d t h e r ef o r e di d n ot c o n stit ut e a d e f a ct o c o n d e m n ati o n of t h e l a n d. T h e q u e sti o n s p r e s e nt e d ar e :

  1. W h et h e r t h e P e n n s yl v a ni a c o u rt s’ d e ci si o n s a r e i n c o nfli ct wit h A r k a n s a s G a m e & Fi s h C o m mi s si o n v. U nit e d St at e s , 1 3 3 S. Ct. 5 1 1 ( 2 0 1 2), w hi c h h el d t h at p r o p e rt y d a m a g e of o nl y fi nit e d u r ati o n i s n ot c at e g o - ri c all y e x e m pt f r o m t h e T a ki n g s Cl a u s e ?

  2. W h et h e r t hi s H o n o r a bl e C o u rt s h o ul d g r a nt r e vi e w t o r e st r ai n st at e c o u rt s f r o m c r e ati n g e x c e pti o n s t o t hi s C o u rt’ s fi n di n g i n A r k a n s a s e x e m pti n g f r o m t h e T a ki n g s Cl a u s e p h y si c al i n v a si o n s ol el y f o r a l a c k of p e r m a n e n c y o r l at e r miti g ati o n of t h e d a m a gi n g c o n d u ct ?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Craig A. Smith
Smith and Porter, P.C.

For respondent
Carl Nathan Weiner
Hamburg, Rubin, et al.

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Mar 19 2018
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Mar 05 2018
    Reply of petitioners James McMaster, et ux. filed. (Distributed)
  3. Feb 21 2018
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/16/2018.
  4. Feb 07 2018
    Brief of respondent Township of Bensalem in opposition filed.
  5. Jan 02 2018
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 7, 2018)