October Term 2001 · Docket 00-1167
Does a temporary land-use moratorium constitute a per se taking?
Landowners argue a temporary ban on development permanently deprived them of property rights. The agency argues the ban served a valid public purpose.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Michael Berger argued the agency totally prohibited a select group of landowners from using their land. He claimed this ban destroyed their property value.
Solicitor General Olson argued the Court should avoid per se rules in regulatory taking cases. He cited Justice O'Connor's concurrence in the Palazzolo case.
Michael Roberts argued the sides that brought the case' only claim was a facial per se claim. He stated this was their sole takings argument before the Court.
Olson argued the Penn Central case allowed reasoned decision-making to solve the problem. He asked how far is too far in regulatory restrictions.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 33-35
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
This case tests whether a temporary land-use restriction triggers an automatic constitutional violation. the sides that brought the case claim the ban permanently destroyed their property value. The agency argues the restriction was a reasonable, temporary measure to protect the environment.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 7, 2002.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 33-35
What each side wants
the sides that brought the case want the Court to declare the temporary ban an automatic taking. They argue the ban permanently destroyed their property value.
The agency wants the Court to uphold the ban. They argue the restriction was a reasonable, temporary measure to protect the environment.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
What each side says
the sides that brought the case argue the ban permanently deprived them of all economic use. They claim this triggers an automatic constitutional violation.
The agency argues the ban was a reasonable, temporary measure. They claim it served a valid public purpose without permanently destroying value.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
What the justices asked
Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted. He ended the oral argument session.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 33-35
Why it matters
The outcome defines the limits of temporary land-use regulations. It determines whether short-term bans can permanently destroy property value without compensation. This affects how local governments manage environmental protection and development.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 33-35
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 5-33 — Transcript, file page 25, lines 5-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-45 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 43, lines 33-15 — Transcript, file page 43, lines 33-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 29-17 — Transcript, file page 50, lines 29-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 23-29
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.