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Author Archive | Michael Rikon

February 6, 2019

IS MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION A PROPERTY RIGHT?

The subject for this blog was suggested by Dr. Sumeet Mitter, my excellent cardiologist.  This blog is dedicated to him and all the incredible medical staff at Mt. Sinai Hospital.  Having just had a heart transplant, it was a subject that I could warm to.           A pre-existing medical condition is generally defined as “a medical condition that occurred before a program of health benefits went into effect.”  According to the Kaiser Foundation, more than a quarter of adults below 65 (approximately) had pre-existing conditions in 2016.           Under current… read more

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Posted in Goldberg v Kelly, Pre-Existing Medical Condition, Property Rights, Texas v United States
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December 19, 2018

IT’S TIME TO PUT AN END TO THE BIAS IN FAVOR OF CONDEMNORS

We recently read a decision from the Court of Claims where the following statement is found “… all considered with the understanding that the burden of proof is establishing an entitlement to substantial compensation rests with claimant (see Andrews v State of New York, 137 AD2d 952, 953 (3d Dept).” Cardinal Development Properties, Ltd. v The State of New York, Claim No. 120333, Decision Filed December 18, 2018, J. Hudson. Why would a Court of Claims Judge believe that this is true in a de jure appropriation? In other words,… read more

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Posted in Burden of Proof, Condemnation, Inverse Condemnation
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November 30, 2018

WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING HUMAN APPRAISER – WE WILL USE A BOT

The November 30, 2018 Wall Street Journal has an article, “Home Appraisals Go High-Tech.”  It seems that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and The Federal Reserve have proposed loosening real estate appraisal rules so that a majority of homes can be bought and sold without being valued by a licensed appraiser.  According to the article, the plan would increase the value of homes that can be sold without an appraiser visiting the property from $250,000 to $400,000.  This does not sound like… read more

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Posted in Appraisal, Appraisers, FDIC
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November 27, 2018

PARDON ME, IS THAT YOUR DINOSAUR?

Our friend Robert H. Thomas brought our attention into an interesting case in his excellent blog, inversecondemnation.com.  The case, Murray v BEJ Minerals, LLC, was handed down by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018. The case was brought by plaintiffs who were owners of a Montana ranch.  They sought a declaratory judgment that dinosaur fossils found on the ranch belong to them as owners of the surface estate. Plaintiffs took title to the ranch from the Seversons prior to the discovery of the fossils.  The previous… read more

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Posted in De Facto Appropriation, Fossils, Mineral Rights
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November 16, 2018

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT! MATTER OF NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY v SCHUECKLER

The Fourth Department of New York’s Appellate Division handed down the decision in Matter of National Fuel Gas Supply Corp. v Schueckler, ___ AD3d ____, 2018 NY SLIP OP 07550 (Nov. 9, 2018).  The appeal involved the granting of a petition for the acquisition of easements for an interstate gas pipeline. Now gas pipelines have gotten pretty used to obtaining what they need.  But not in New York.  The State of New York has blocked the entire pipeline project by denying the necessary environmental permits.  Notwithstanding the barrier posed by… read more

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Posted in EDPL Article 2, FERC Certificate, Natural Gas Act, Pipeline Easements
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