To resolve a split of circuits, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Tyler v. Hennepin County to decide whether a real estate tax foreclosure violates the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment when a municipality takes title but doesn’t give the owner the difference between the unpaid taxes and the value of the property. Oral argument on April 26 was the last argument of the term that began in October. Given the significance of the case in terms of constitutional law, the Court allowed almost two hours for argument. The Court will hand down a decision before the term ends in late June. The decision in Tyler may (or may not) resolve a long-standing circuit split on the question of whether a tax foreclosure can be attacked in bankruptcy as a fraudulent transfer.
