Supreme Court rules in favor of 94-year-old woman who got nothing when county took her condo

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court has given a 94-year-old Minneapolis woman a new chance to recoup some money after the county kept the entire $40,000 when it sold her condominium over a small unpaid tax bill. The justices ruled Thursday that Hennepin County, Minnesota violated the constitutional rights of the woman, Geraldine Tyler, by taking her property without paying “just compensation.” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court that the county “could not use the toehold of the tax debt to confiscate more property than was due.” Tyler, who now lives in an apartment building for older people, owed $2,300 in unpaid taxes, plus interest and penalties totalling $15,000. Minnesota is among roughly a dozen states that allow local jurisdictions to keep the excess money.