Contents 1
I. Basic Concepts 6
A. Property: The Institution and the Idea 6
Kelo v. City of New London 6
1. Locke (S-1 pp. 3-13) 6
Locke’s Theory of Property 6
Locke’s Theory of Political Society and Government: 6
2. Blackstone and the American Founders 6
Blackstone (S-1 pp. 35-41) 6
Declaration of Independence (S-1 p. 43) 7
Bill of Rights (S-1 p. 45) 7
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1787 (S-1 p. 47) 7
3. More of the Anglo-American Property Story 7
Bentham (S-1 p. 49) 7
Morris Cohen, Property and Sovereignty 7
Felix Cohen 7
Richard Weaver, “The Last Metaphysical Right” in Ideas Have Consequences 7
Charles Reich, “The New Property” in The Greening of America 8
Cass Sunstein, Constitutionalism After the New Deal 8
4. Property in the Civil Law Tradition: 8
Rousseau, The Social Contract 8
France: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen 8
Basic Law (West German Constitution) 8
Donald Kommers, The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany 8
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (S-1 p. 103) 9
5. Customary Property Notions: 9
Marc Bloch, Feudal Society 9
Donald Large, This Land is Whose Land? Changing Concepts of Land as Property 9
The Swedish Allemansratt 9
B. First Possession: Acquisition of Property by Discovery, Capture 9
1. Acquisition by Discovery 9
Johnson v. M’Intosh 10
2. Acquisition by Capture 10
Pierson v. Post 10
Ghen v. Rich 10
Keeble v. Hickeringill 10
3. Acquisition by Finding: 10
Armory v. Delmirie 11
Hannah v. Peel 11
McAvoy v. Medina 11
Popov v. Hayashi 11
C. Trespass Law and the “Right to Exclude” 12
Jacque v. Steenberg Homes, Inc. 12
People v. Likar 12
State v. Shack 12
PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robins 13
NJ Coalition Against War v. J.M.B. Realty 13
Appleby and Others v. United Kingdom 14
D. Adverse Possession 14
Ewing v. Burnett (U.S. 1837) (S-1 p. 195) 15
Van Valkenburgh v. Lutz (NY Ct. of Appeals 1952) (p. 122) 15
Mannillo v. Gorski (NJ 1969) (p. 136) 15
Howard v. Kunto 15
O’Keeffe v. Snyder 16
II. Gratuitous Transfer of Ownership (Gifts, Wills, and Will Substitutes) 17
A. Gifts 17
In Re Cohn 17
Newman v. Bost 17
Gruen v. Gruen 17
B. Gifts/Will Substitutes 18
Tygard v. McComb 18
In Re Totten 18
Malone v. Walsh 19
Blanchette v. Blanchette 19
The Nonprobate Revolution and the Future of the Law of Succession 19
C. Will Substitutes/Trusts 20
Smith’s Estate 20
Elyachar v. Gerel Corp 20
III. Co-Ownership and the Effects of Family Relations on Ownership 21
A. Co-Ownership 21
Riddle v. Harmon 22
Harms v. Sprague 22
Delfino v. Vealencis 22
Spiller v. Mackereth 23
Swartzbaugh v. Sampson 23
B. Property Allocation on Death 23
Blackstone 23
Mill – Principles of Political Economy (S-3 p. 19) 23
Freedom of Testation: 23
Hodel v. Irving 24
Langbein, “The Revolution in Family Wealth Transmission” 24
C. Marital Property 24
Sawada v. Endo 24
Marital Property Chart 24
D. Rights of Surviving Spouse 25
Strong v. Wood 25
Sullivan v. Burkin 26
E. Property Allocation on Divorce 26
Norris v. Norris 26
Rice v. Rice 26
In re Marriage of Graham 27
Elkus v. Elkus 27
F. Marriage Contracts 28
DeMatteo v. DeMatteo 28
G. Non-Marital Cohabitants, Civil Unions 28
Carlson v. Olson 28
Marvin v. Marvin 28
Vermont Civil Union Statute 29
IV. Purchase and Rental of Real Estate 30
A. Lawyer-Made Law (S-4 pp. 1-3) 30
B. Property Rights and Civil Rights 30
Fair Housing Act: (p. 431) 30
Civil Rights Act of 1868 (p. 433) 30
U.S. v. Starrett City 30
C. Purchase and Sale of Residential Property 31
1. Contract for Sale of Land: 31
South Carolina v. Buyer’s Service 31
2. Marketable Title: 31
Messer-Johnson v. Security Savings 31
3. The Doctrine of Equitable Conversion (DK 552-53): 31
4. Duty to Disclose Defects (p. 559) 31
Stambovsky v. Ackley 32
Johnson v. Davis 32
Lempke v. Dagenais 32
5. Deeds (p. 587): 33
Sweeney v. Sweeney 33
Rosengrant v. Rosengrant 33
D. Estates in Land 34
Bullet-point Notes on Estates 34
Benjamin Cardozo, The Nature of the Judicial Process: 35
1. Fee simple 35
2. Life Estates 35
White v. Brown 36
Zimmerman v. Shreeve 36
Rogers v. Atlantic, Gulf, & Pacific 36
3. Defeasible Estates (pp. 222-225) 36
E. Leasehold Estates (DK 419-22) 37
Types of Leases 37
Garner v. Gerrish 37
Hannan v. Dusch 38
Commercial v. Residential Leases 38
Subleases and Assignments (p. 442) 38
Ernst v. Conditt 38
Kendall v. Ernest Pestana, Inc. 39
Tenant’s Obligations 39
Landlord’s Remedies (p. 479) 39
Berg v. Wiley, MN 1978 (p. 460) 40
Sommer v. Kridel, NJ 1977 (p. 469) 40
New Jersey Eviction Statute (S-4 pp. 73-6) 40
Landlord’s Obligations and Tenant’s Remedies 40
Reste Realty Corp. v. Cooper 41
Hilder v. St. Peter 41
Chicago Board of Realtors 41
Berman v. Jefferson 42
Schill – The Case of Public Housing (S-4 p. 77) 42
V. Constitutional Law of Property 43
A. Property and Economic Regulation 43
1. Early cases 43
Calder v. Bull 43
Lochner v. New York 43
Coppage v. Kansas 43
2. The Due Process Cases 44
Nebbia v. New York 44
West Coast Hotel v. Parrish 44
Ferguson v. Skrupa 44
B. Takings and Public Use 44
The Power of Eminent Domain 44
Berman v. Parker 45
Poletown Neighborhood Council v. City of Detroit 45
Black Families Resist Mississippi Land Push 45
Hawaii Housing v. Midkiff 45
Wayne v. Hathcock 46
Kelo v. City of New London 46
C. When is a Regulation a Taking? 47
Hadachek v. Sebastian 48
Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon 48
Penn Central Transportation Co. v. City of New York 48
Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV 48
D. The Battle over Regulatory Takings 49
Keystone Bituminous v. DeBenedictus 49
First English Evangelical Lutheran Church v. LA County 49
Nollan v. California Coastal Commn 49
Hodel v. Irving (supra) 49
Pennell v. San Jose 49
E. Recent Developments 50
Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Commn 50
Dolan v. City of Tigard 50
Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel 50
F. And the Winner is? How do Today’s Cases Juggle these Rules? 51
Palazzolo v. Rhode Island 51
Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency 51
G. Remedies for Regulatory Takings (pp. 1166-70) 51