U.S. Supreme Court to weigh legality of Hennepin County keeping revenue from seized properties

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of a Minneapolis woman in her 90s whose condo was seized by Hennepin County because she didn't pay her property taxes.

The 2015 seizure of Geraldine Tyler's condo isn't in question. Nor is the fact that she owed the county some $15,000 in back taxes, interest and fees.

What's in dispute is what happened to the extra money — $25,000 — after the county sold the condo for $40,000.

The government kept it. She says it belongs to her.

The case, which has been winding its way through the courts since 2019, could have ramifications for how Minnesota and a number of other states handle property seizures for unpaid taxes.

Under Minnesota law, any extra money from the sale of seized property can be kept by the government — divvied up among various government entities, including the local county, city and school district.

Tyler and her attorneys have argued that the government keeping all the revenue is tantamount to the theft of her home equity and violates constitutional protections against uncompensated takings and excessive fines.

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https://www.startribune.com/u-s-supreme-court-to-weigh-legality-of-hennepin-countys-pocketing-all-revenue-from-seized-properties/600243912/