U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUE HIGHLIGHTED BY CADF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2024

U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF PROPERTY RIGHTS ISSUE HIGHLIGHTED BY CADF

Olympia, Washington — April 12, 2024 —Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of George Sheetz, a small business owner in California who was required to pay thousands of dollars in impact fees to remodel his modest manufactured home.

The Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) was joined by the Washington Business Properties Association (WBPA), a nonprofit centered around upholding property rights, and SoundBuilt Homes LLC, a local homebuilding company. Together, the groups argued that the impact fees as described in the Sheetz case were unconstitutional and subject to restrictions. Local governments need to demonstrate a nexus between the fees and the impact of the construction, and today, the Court’s unanimous decision is consistent with the position CADF, WBPA, and SoundBuilt Homes took in their brief.

“We are pleased to stand up for constitutional government and serve as champions of hope and accountability in this case,” said Jackson Maynard, Executive Director for CADF. “Hopefully in the future, both state and local governments will take pause from this decision and consider whether the fees they charge are legally and constitutionally permissible.”

“We are thrilled to see the Court’s unanimous ruling in this landmark case,” said Sam Spiegelman, Associate Counsel for CADF. “CADF is committed to protecting Washingtonians’ property rights, and this ruling makes that task far less onerous than before. And, of course, we are pleased to see the Court continue down an ever-more property-friendly path.”

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For more information:

Jackson Maynard

cell: (850) 519-3495

[email protected]