Supreme Court: government may be liable for flood damage

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 Liability

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the federal government may be required to pay damages when it releases water from a dam that causes temporary flooding for a property owner downstream. The case addressed the politically charged issue of when government activity that affects private property constitutes a "taking" that requires payment to a landowner. Under the 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the government must pay owners of private property that it takes for public purposes.


External References & Further Reading
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/04/us-usa-court-flooding-idUSBRE8B316T20121204?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews
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