Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Claim of 94-Year-Old Minnesota Homeowner That County Unconstitutionally Seized Her Home Equity

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Claim of 94-Year-Old Minnesota Homeowner That County Unconstitutionally Seized Her Home Equity
Hennepin County, Minnesota homeowner Geraldine Tyler in an undated photo. Courtesy of Pacific Legal Foundation
Matthew Vadum
Matthew Vadum
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The Supreme Court decided late on Jan. 13 to hear the appeal of a 94-year-old homeowner who is challenging the constitutionality of laws that allow local governments to take the full value of a home as payment for much smaller property tax debts.

The decision came after the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a public interest law firm that is representing the homeowner, released a report last month saying that 12 states and the District of Columbia allow local governments and private investors to seize dramatically more than what is owed from homeowners who fall behind on property tax payments.