The Supreme Court’s Road to El Dorado

null By The Editorial BoardUpdated Jan. 7, 2024 4:29 pm ETJournal Editorial Report: Best guesses of what's to come from Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyThe Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear what could be a landmark property-rights case (Sheetz v. County of El Dorado) with major economic implications. The question is simple: Can governments use building permits to extort property owners?George Sheetz in 2016 applied for a permit from El Dorado County to build a small home in northern California near Lake Tahoe. The county board of supervisors conditioned the permit on a $23,420 “traffic impact mitigation” fee to cover the costs of expanding public roads to reduce congestion. Copyright ©2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Sponsored OffersTurboTax: Extra 10% Off online federal products With TurboTax service codeThe Motley Fool: Epic Bundle - 3x Expert Stock RecommendationsH&R B

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The Editorial Board

Updated Jan. 7, 2024 4:29 pm ET

Journal Editorial Report: Best guesses of what's to come from Kim Strassel, Bill McGurn and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly

The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear what could be a landmark property-rights case (Sheetz v. County of El Dorado) with major economic implications. The question is simple: Can governments use building permits to extort property owners?

George Sheetz in 2016 applied for a permit from El Dorado County to build a small home in northern California near Lake Tahoe. The county board of supervisors conditioned the permit on a $23,420 “traffic impact mitigation” fee to cover the costs of expanding public roads to reduce congestion.