This morning, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Tyler v. Hennepin County, an important Takings Clause case involving the practice of "home equity theft," under which local governments can seize the entire value of a property in order to pay off a much smaller delinquent property tax debt. Geraldine Tyler, the plaintiff in the case, is a 94-year-old widow whose home, valued at $40,000, was seized by the County government after she was unable to pay off $15,000 in property taxes, penalties, interest, and fees. The County then proceeded to keep the entire $40,000 for itself, as Minnesota state law allows it to do. Tyler contends this violates the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, which requires the government to pay "just compensation" anytime it takes private property.