Property Law and Real Estate Commons^™

Superiority Of Remediation Liens: A Cure To The Virus Of Blight, Marilyn Uzdavines

University of Baltimore Law Review

Blight in a neighborhood is like a virus that spreads throughout the community. If left unchecked, that virus will destroy the community. In cities like Detroit, the spread of blight has ruined the economy and led to a dramatic plunge in population and the underfunding of city services. Blighted communities have transformed into vast swathes of abandoned properties that attract crime and create hazardous conditions to anyone who dares to remain in them. Although cities like Detroit have received exceptional media attention due to their overwhelming problems, blight continues to affect Detroit and communities in many states across the United …

Hollywood Blackout: Impact Of New Architectural Copyright Laws On The Filming Industry, Jake Jensen

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

This Article will focus on particular emerging copyright laws and their effect on the film industry. Section II will begin with a brief overview of the film industry as well as a brief discussion of the reasons people watch films. The Section will then proceed with a discussion on the importance of filming locations, as well as how the industry has changed in its perception of filming locations. Section III will detail what the current copyright law is, as well as exceptions the courts have used in determining copyright infringement. Section IV will then describe the Freedom of Panorama laws …

It’S Up In The Air! Potential Criminal Liabilities For Drone-Associated Issues In The Great State Of Texas, Anthony Pax

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

“Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” No, it’s a drone! Private and commercial drone use is expanding as quickly as the technology can be developed to fulfill the various needs of different users. As new ways to use drones are conceived every day, the potential for conflict is ever increasing. This Article will argue that, in the absence of any real federal guidance on the subject, the state of Texas must apply its current criminal law framework to any drone-related conflicts that may arise. This will provide clear guidelines for resolving the multitude of issues …

Doctoring Up Cybersecurity Standards: A Solution To Adequate Internet Security Measures Post Wyndham, Vince Vela

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

In today’s technological world, it is common for corporations and individuals alike to enjoy and exploit the benefits of cloud computing. These advancements, however, come with a price as the modern technological age continues to grow. By its very nature, the normal course of business has changed drastically. From private entrepreneurial websites to conglomerates like Amazon, Inc., making purchases online has never been easier. Rather than traveling to your products, consumers today simply create an account with a certain business, enter personal credentials, provide a credit or debit card number for the transaction, and give an address for the shipment …

Colder Than A Landlord's Heart? Reconciling A Debtor's Authority To Sell Property Free And Clear Of A Lease Under Bankruptcy Code Section 363(F) With The Tenant's Right To Remain In Possession On A Lease Rejection Under Bankruptcy Code Section 365(H), Bruce Grohsgal

Marquette Law Review

The question examined in this Article is a simple one—Can a tenant with a right to possession under section 365(h) of the Bankruptcy Code be ousted from possession by a free and clear sale of the real property by the debtor-landlord pursuant to section 363(f) of the Bankruptcy Code? The Seventh Circuit, the only court of appeals to have considered the issue, said “yes” in Precision Industries, Inc. v. Qualitech Steel SBQ, LLC and authorized a sale free and clear of the lease and the tenant’s right to remain in possession. Subsequent decisions from the district and bankruptcy courts are …

Red-Handed Without A Defense: Avoiding Civil Forfeiture When Leasing To Lawful Marijuana Tenants, Cielo Fortin-Camacho

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

Lawful marijuana tenants (“LMT”), or tenants who lease property for the purpose of operating a marijuana-related business in compliance with the applicable marijuana provisions of their state, are demanding property and offering big bucks—leaving property owners in a precarious situation. This Article discusses the problem faced by property owners wishing to lease premises to growers, processors, and sellers of marijuana in states that have adopted marijuana provisions and established regulatory frameworks. In these states, marijuana provisions do not alter the respective state’s landlord-tenant statutes, despite the various property-related requirements marijuana businesses must adhere to for licensure to operate. Licensing requirements …

How The Government Can ‘Come And Take It’: Asset Forfeiture And How Texas Should Change Its Practice, Sean M. Grove

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

As a model of review, this Comment will use Texas’s laws—juxtaposed against state laws that are providing more protections—to compare what Texas is doing wrong in light of what other states are doing right. First, this Comment will give a brief history of asset forfeiture in general and provide the status of civil asset forfeiture in the twentyfirst century. Part II will discuss the benefits of some asset forfeiture programs while highlighting the shortcomings and burdens that civil asset forfeiture brings. Part III will show state legislation aimed at curtailing civil asset forfeiture and the factors that make Texas’s laws …

Of Progressive Property And Public Debt, Christopher K. Odinet

Faculty Scholarship

Debt is property, and, because of this, property law has a lot to say about how debts are resolved. Indeed, property law is deeply woven into the fabric of the bankruptcy process — a fact that has been woefully neglected by many scholars. The ability to provide debtors with relief and the ability of creditors to demand protections from discharge or diminished payments are both concepts that are intimately tied to property law. However, despite the doctrinal workings of property law in this context, from a theoretical standpoint property law has been underutilized. This is particularly true, as this Article …

Sharing Property, Kellen Zale

University of Colorado Law Review

The sharing economy-the rapidly evolving sector of peer-topeer transactions epitomized by Airbnb and Uber-is the subject of heated debate about whether it is so novel that no laws apply, or whether the sharing economy should be subject to the same regulations as its analog counterparts. The debate has proved frustrating and controversial in large part because we lack a doctrinally cohesive and normatively satisfying way of talking about the underlying activities taking place in the sharing economy. In part, this is because property-sharing activities-renting your car out to a tourist for a day, paying to spend the weekend in a …

Fritz V. Washoe County, 132 Nev. Adv. Op. 57 (Aug. 4, 2016), Jessie Folkestad

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

This case involved the question of whether a counties’ approval of subdivision maps and street dedications which included a drainage system constituted inverse condemnation where the plaintiff’s property flooded as a result. The Supreme Court of Nevada adopted a six part element test for inverse condemnation, and determined that genuine issues of material fact existed as to whether the County’s actions constituted substantial involvement in the drainage system sufficient to deem it public use.

Aggregate Alienability, Luke Meier, Rory Ryan

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Providing Copyright Protection To Real Estate Listings: Protecting Brokers, Sellers, And Consumers, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 318 (2016), Kathryn Robinson

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

In a technology-driven age, the Internet has changed how prospective homebuyers search for their new home. For many, a search on Google is the first step before hiring a broker or getting prequalified for a mortgage. Although the Internet is a powerful tool widely utilized by many, there has been a growing concern for managing and protecting the integrity of real estate listings. Data scraping of listing data has become problematic for the real estate industry; as a result, this has caused irreparable harm to everyone. This comment highlights the benefits of awarding copyright protection to all contents of the …

The Destruction Of Cultural Heritage: A Crime Against Property Or A Crime Against People?, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 336 (2016), Patty Gerstenblith

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The destruction of cultural heritage has played a prominent role in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq and in the recent conflict in Mali. This destruction has displayed the failure of international law to effectively deter these actions. This article reviews existing international law in light of this destruction and the challenges posed by the issues of non-international armed conflict, non-state actors and the military necessity exception. By examining recent developments in applicable international law, the article proposes that customary international law has evolved to interpret existing legal instruments and doctrines concerning cultural heritage in light of the principles …

Where Are We And Where Are We Going: Legal Developments In Cultural Property And Nazi Art Looting, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 435 (2016), Thomas Kline

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Amber Tears And Copyright Fears: The Inadequate Protection Of Cultural Heritage In The United States, 15 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 543 (2016), Ingrida Latoza

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The United States is comprised of many different cultural communities, each rich with expressions of language and custom. Cultural diversity promotes respect among individuals and harmonizes differences between communities—nationally and globally. Through the preservation of cultural heritage, diversity is maintained. Since World War II, with the exile of many from Lithuania, members of the Lithuanian-American community have strived to maintain the cultural heritage of their beloved homeland. After several decades, a Lithuanian-American cultural identity has developed, creating unique and individual traditions, adding to the cultural heritage of the United States as a whole. Most of the international community has adopted …

Essay: The Inter Vivos Branch Of The Worthier Title Doctrine, Joseph W. Morris

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

Response: Worthier For Whom?, Katheleen Guzman

Oklahoma Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Illusion Of Fiscal Illusion In Regulatory Takings, Bethany Berger

Faculty Articles and Papers

The main economic justification for compensating owners for losses from land use restrictions is based on a surprising mistake. Compensation is said to make governments internalize the costs of their actions and therefore enact more efficient regulations. Without compensation, the argument goes, governments operate under a fiscal illusion because, from their perspective, their actions are costless. The problem is that this argument makes no sense as a description of the actual costs to governments. Taxation is the main way governments get revenue, and most taxes depend on the value of property and its permissible uses. If a government restricts land …

Living With Owning, Matt Ampleman, Douglas A. Kysar

Indiana Law Journal

In October, 2011, Terry Thompson committed suicide by gunshot after cutting open the cages of fifty-six exotic animals on his farm in Zanesville, Ohio. Fearing for pub-lic safety, law enforcement officers systematically hunted down the escaped animals in an episode that garnered international attention and prompted renewed discus-sion of the propriety of exotic animal ownership. This Article retells and discusses the circumstances surrounding Terry Thompson’s unhinging, applying frameworks of legal theory, chiefly in the realm of property law, to assess the fabric that held Thompson’s delicate system together and the tensions that led to its unravelling. As an autopsy, the …

Show Me The Money: How Registered Sex Offenders Affect Property Tax Revenue And What Governments Can Do To Recover The Losses, Justin Simmons

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

Many people have written scholarly articles highlighting the pros and cons of SORs. Some have taken the analysis a step further by pointing out the impact SORs have on the values of homes in the vicinity of a registered sex offender (“RSO”). While these studies have pointed out the impact the presence of an RSO can have on the property value for an individual homeowner, research regarding the impact RSOs have on property tax revenue for taxing districts is nonexistent. This Article highlights the correlation between the depressive effect the presence of RSOs has on property values, the impact this …

Blood & Money: A Conflict In Texas Statutes Regarding Adoptees’ Inheritance Rights From And Through Biological Parents, Andrea Smith

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

In Texas, the statutes are in conflict as to whether an adopted person is emphatically given the right to inherit intestate through and from their biological parents. This Note will delve into the history of adoption law, the adoption law process, differences in the statutes, and suggest how the Texas Legislature can mend these statutes to be in harmony with each other. For the purposes of this Note, when adoptee is mentioned it only refers to a child who was adopted as a minor.

"You Belong To Me": Unscrambling The Legal Ramifications Of Recognizing A Property Right In Frozen Human Eggs, Browne C. Lewis

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This article is divided into four parts. Part I includes a discussion of just a few examples of when babies conceived as a result of surrogacy arrangements have been treated like personal property. Part II explains the process that makes human oocyte cryopreservation a viable option for young women and also explores the ways that human eggs may end up in the marketplace. Part III examines the options open to courts with regard to the extent of a woman's property interest in her frozen eggs. Part IV contains an analysis of some of the property law causes of action that …

Privacy As Quasi-Property, Lauren Henry Scholz

Scholarly Publications

Courts and commentators struggle to apply privacy law in a way that conforms to the intuitions of the average person. It is often assumed that the reason for this discrepancy is the absence of an agreed upon conceptual definition of privacy. In fact, the lack of a description of the interest invaded in a privacy matter is the more substantial hurdle. This Article provides such a description of the privacy interest.

Privacy is quasi-property. Quasi-property is a relational entitlement to exclude. Unlike real property, there is no freestanding right to exclude from a quasi-property interest absent reference to a relationship …

Res Extra Commercium And The Barriers Faced When Seeking The Repatriation And Return Of Potent Cultural Objects: A Transsystemic Critical Post-Colonial Approach, Sara Gwendolyn Ross

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

The repatriation and return of objects of cultural value are often linked to decolonization projects and efforts to repair past wrongs suffered as a result of colonialism. Yet significant barriers hinder these efforts. These barriers primarily take the shape of time limitations, diverging conceptions of property and ownership, the high costs involved, and the domestic export and cultural heritage laws of both the source country and the destination country. I argue that these barriers are relics of colonialism that replicate and perpetuate the continued imposition of Eurocentric and Western legal notions and values on subaltern source countries and source indigenous …

Land Claim Settlement In Canadian Arctic: Pragmatism And Instrumentalism At Work, Diana Ginn

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In Canada, comprehensive land claims based on Aboriginal title can be pursued through either litigation or negotiation. Generally, the relationship between litigation and negotiation of these claims is understood as one where the Supreme Court of Canada initially prodded the Canadian state to action, and then in a series of decisions developed the legal parameters within which the political realities of negotiation occur. Thus, settlement tends to follow and be shaped by the contours of the legal doctrine. However, settlement of land claims in Canada’s Arctic moved ahead of the case law in two key areas, as manifested in: (a) …

The Perverse Effects Of Subsidized Weather Insurance, Omri Ben-Shahar, Kyle D. Logue

Articles

This Article explores the role of insurance as a substitute for direct regulation of risks posed by severe weather. In pricing the risk of human activity along the predicted path of storms, insurance can provide incentives for efficient location decisions as well as for cost-justified mitigation efforts in building construction and infrastructure. Currently, however, much insurance for severe-weather risks is provided and heavily subsidized by the government. This Article demonstrates two primary distortions arising from the government’s dominance in these insurance markets. First, existing government subsidies are allocated differentially across households, resulting in a significant regressive redistribution favoring affluent homeowners …

You Can't Common What You Can't See: Towards A Restorative Polycentrism In The Governance Of Our Cities, Amy Laura Cahn, Paula Z. Segal

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Urban Commons As Property Experiment: Mapping Chicago's Farms And Gardens, Nate Ela

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Towards A Human Right To Food: Implications For Urban Growing In Baltimore City, Maryland, Becky L. Witt

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Five Easy Pieces: Recurrent Themes In American Property Law, Gregory S. Alexander

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.