Tree disputes between neighbors are more common than most people expect. A tree grows across a property line, branches extend into your yard, or roots start damaging structures. At that point, a simple question turns into a legal issue: can you cut your neighbor’s overhanging tree branches in California? California law does allow property owners… Read more »
Property owners across California are starting to hear about new regional housing authorities and what they might mean for land use. As the state continues to push for more housing, these entities are taking on a larger role in how development gets planned and funded. Under SB 440 California, regional housing finance authorities now have… Read more »
A common law system (one where previous court opinions define the meaning of the law) can be very useful. It can also result in some rather bizarre arguments being taken seriously, and even garnering the support of some members of the Supreme Court. Case in point: the plaintiffs position in Schuette v BAMN which the… Read more »
For many in California the 2008 housing crisis never ended. Currently, thousands of California homeowners are behind or struggling to make mortgage payments on homes that simply are not worth what they agreed to pay when they took out their mortgage. To accommodate these unfortunate circumstances, a distressing number of California cities are now contemplating… Read more »
The United States Constitution provides that the government may not take your property without due process of law. In the criminal law context that usually means that you cannot be punished, or have your property taken unless the government can prove that you committed a crime. Yet, in states and cities across the country, property… Read more »
