The City of Rowlett’s (“the City’s”) authority to size private property through eminent domain is strictly limited by the Texas Constitution and Texas law. Nevertheless, the City illegally condemned and seized a private driveway belonging to Petitioner KMS Retail Rowlett, LP F/K/A KMS Retail Huntsville, LP (“KMS”) for the sole benefit of a private developer that sought easier access to its proposed commercial site. Such taking of private property for a non-public use violates the private property protections enshrined in the Texas Constitution and Texas statutes. The Appellate court’s opinion to the contrary in this matter must be reversed.
Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner v. City of Oakland, California
Date Filed: June 29, 2026 Original Court: Northern District of California Case Status: Pending Matthew Bernard and Lynn Warner own an undeveloped residential plot in Oakland, California. In 2020, the Oakland Fire Department ordered them to clear dead and dying trees from their land or face ongoing fines. The landowners hired an arborist and removed...