Boston College Property Law (Fall 2010) Joseph P. Liu

Boston College Property Law (Fall 2010) Joseph P. Liu

Property Law

(Fall 2010 – LL70902)

Professor Joseph Liu

Boston College Law School

Section 2

Texts

. Joseph Singer, Property Law: Rules, Policies, and Practices (5th ed. 2010)

. Handouts (In Class, Periodically)

Guidelines and Requirements

A. Grading

The grade for the class will be based on a final exam. The exam will be 3.5-hour, open-book, in-class exam. In addition, very high-quality in-class participation (as described in more detail in the next section) can result in a half-grade increase (e.g. from B to B+, from B+ to A-, etc.).

B. Participation

Roughly one-third of the class will be on call for any given class session. I expect these students to have read the assigned materials in some detail and to be prepared to summarize, analyze, and discuss them in class. Students with last names beginning with the letters A through G will be on call on Wednesdays; students with last names beginning with H through P will be on call on Thursdays; students with last names beginning with Q through Z will be on call on Fridays.

If you know in advance that you will not be prepared, you must give me notice by email by midnight on the night before class or in person on the day of class. Lack of preparation without prior notice may be counted against you in your final grade for the course. Conversely, quality (not quantity of) participation, both volunteered and called-upon, will be counted in your favor.

C. Syllabus and Readings

The syllabus below provides a rough, working outline of the course. However, because it is difficult to predict how quickly we will be able to go through the materials, I will probably make changes, delete certain readings, add others, etc., as the course progresses, so you shouldn’t rely on it too much. In addition, I will periodically be distributing supplementary materials in the form of handouts in class.

D. Class Web Site

The class web site is: http://www2.bc.edu/~liujr/courses/prop10f/index.html. I have posted there a copy of this syllabus and will also post any in-class handouts and/or powerpoint presentations. I will also periodically send out announcements to your B.C. email account, so please check that account from time to time.

E. Contact Information & Office Hours

E-Mail:

Phone: 617-552-6377

Office: East Wing, 313

Hours: Thursdays, 3:30-5 p.m. or make an appointment

Syllabus

Introduction

I. The Concept of Property – Introductory Themes 1 [5+]

Pierson v. Post (152-55), Notes (158-59), Problem (160), A Guide to the Book (xliii-lvi) (skim), How to Brief a Case (lvii-lxii) (skim)

Regulation of Land Use

II. Regulation of Owners’ Rights as Against Others – The Right to Exclude

A. Common Law Limits: Public Access 2 [7/7+]

Text (3), State v. Shack (3-8), Notes 1-3 (12-13), Problem 1 (16), · Uston v. Resorts (16-19), Notes (19-23), Problems (23) assign thru 64 act

B. Statutory Limits: Anti-Discrimination 1 [11]

Civil Rights Act of 1964 (33-34), Civil Rights Act of 1866 (34-35), Notes (35-38), Problems (39-40), New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (40-42), Notes (42-43), Problems (43-44) assign thru conlaw

C. Constitutional Limits: Free Speech & Public Trust 1 [11]

Text (52-55), Problems (55-56), Matthews v. Bay Head (56-62), Notes (62-65), Problems (65-66)

III. Regulation of Relations Among Neighbors – The Right to Use

A. Water (Rights, Flooding) 1 [16]

Text (333-37), Armstrong v. Francis (327-41), Notes (341-43), Text (343-47), Problem (347-48)

B. Support (Lateral, Subjacent) 1 [19]

Text (348), Noone v. Price (348-52), Notes (253-55), Mass. Gen. L. (355-56), Mass. Building Code (356), Notes (356-57), Problem (357), Friendswood Dev. Co. v. Smith-Southwest (357-64), Notes (264-66), Problem (367) perhaps 2 classes, split?

C. Nuisance (Pollution, Light & Air) 3 [13/17/18]

Text (368-70), Page County Appliance v. Honeywell (370-73), Notes (376-83), Problems (383-84), · Fontainebleau Hotel v. Forty-Five Twenty-Five (384-86), Text (386-403), · Prah v. Maretti (403-09), Notes (409-11), Text (411-21) (skim)

IV. Regulation of Agreements Between Parties – The Power to Dispose

A. Involuntary Transfers (Adverse Possession, Prescriptive Easements) 2 [19/20]

Text (281), Brown v. Gobble (281-87), Nome 2000 v. Fagerstrom (289-94), Notes (294-302), · Text (302-09), Problems (310-11), Community Feed v. Northeastern Culvert (311-14), Notes (314-18), Problems (318-19), Text (319-22)

B. Servitudes

1. Easements (By Estoppel, Implied, Express (Appurtenant and In Gross)) 3 [16/17/19]

Text (423-26), Holbrook v. Taylor (427-29), Text (429), Rase v. Castle Mountain (429-35), Notes (435-39), Problem (439), · Text (439), Granite Properties v. Manns (439-46), Finn v. Williams (446-48), Notes (448-51), Problems (451-52), Text (452), Arizona Statute of Frauds (452-53), Notes (453), Text (453-56), · Text (456-57), Green v. Lupo (458-60), Notes (460-62), Problem (462-63), Cox v. Glenbrook (463-68), Henley v. Continental Cablevision (468-71), Notes (471-74), Problems (474-75), Text (475)

2. Covenants, Equitable Servitudes 4 [19/17/11/13]

Text (475-77), Winn-Dixie v. Dolgencorp (477-81), Whitinsville Plaza v. Kotseas (481-82), Davidson Brothers v. Katz (482-84), · Notes (484-500), Problems (500-01), · Text (501-02), Evans v. Pollock (502-06), Sanborn v. McLean (506), Riley v. Bear Creek (506-07), Notes (507-11), Problems (511-12), · El Di v. Town of Bethany (519-22), Notes (522-24), Text (524-26), Mass. Gen. L. (526-27), Blakeley v. Gorin (527-31), Notes (531), Problems (531-32)

3. Homeowners Associations and Condominiums 1 [16]

Text (532-36), Appel v. Presley (536-39), Notes (539-40), O’Buck v. Cottonwood (583-85), Neuman v. Grandview (586-88), Notes (588-90), Problems (590-91)

4. Limitations (Restraints on Alienation) 1 [13]

Text (551-52), Horse Pond v. Cormier (552-54), Northwest Real Estate v. Serio (555-56), Riste v. Eastern Washington Bible Camp (556-57), Wolinsky v. Kadison (557-60), Notes (560-64)

C. Estates and Future Interests

1. Formation and Interpretation 1 [22]

Text (595-98), Text (598-607) (skim), Text (607-16), Wood v. Board (616-19), Cathedral v. Garden City (619), Edwards v. Bradley (619-21), Notes (621-26)

2. Limitations (Rule Against Perpetuities, New Estates, Waste, Race, Marriage) 2 [23/21]

Text (628-41), Central Delaware v. Greyhound (641-44), Notes (644-49), Problem (649-50), Text (627), Johnson v. Whiton (627-28), · Moore v. Phillips (650-52), Notes (653-54), Text (540-41), Shelley v. Kraemer (541-47), Evans v. Abney (547-48), Notes (548-50), Problems (551), Text (654-56), Lewis v. Searles (658-61), Notes (661-62)

Regulation of Market for Housing

V. Common Ownership

A. Common and Joint Tenancies 1 [19]

Text (663-71), Olivas v. Olivas (671-73), Notes (673), Problems (673-74), Text (674), Carr v. Deking (674-75), Tenhet v. Boswell (675-79), Kresha v. Kresha (679-80), Notes (680-82), Problem (682)

B. Marital Property 1 [23]

Sawada v. Endo (682-86), Notes (686-87), Problem (687-88), Text (688-95), Watts v. Watts (707-11), Notes (711-17), Problem (717)

VI. Landlord Tenant Law

A. Leasehold Estates 1 [17]

Text (733-37), Vasquez v. Glassboro (737-42), Notes (743-46), Problems (746-47) cont

B. Occupancy and Rent (Sublet, Assignment, Duty to Mitigate) 2 [16/20]

Text (747-48), Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (748), Problems (749-50), · Text (754-58), Kendall v. Ernest Pestana (758-63), Slavin v. Rent Control Board (763-65), Notes (765-68), Problems (768), Text (768-69), Problems (769-70), · Text (770-74), Somer v. Kridel (774-79), Notes (779-80), Problem (781) cont.

C. Habitable Premises (Constructive Eviction, Implied Warranty) 1 [22]

Minjak v. Randoph (782-85), Blackett v. Olanoff (785-87), Notes (787-90), Problems (790-91), · Text (791-92), Javins v. First National Realty (792-98), Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (798-802), Notes (802-06), Problems (806-07), Hillview Associates v. Bloomquist (816-21), Problem (828)

VII. Discrimination in Housing

A. Discriminatory Treatment 1 [21]

Fair Housing Act of 1968 (925-31), Asbury v. Brougham (931-35), U.S. v. Starrett (936-39), Notes (939-44), Problems (944-46)

B. Disparate Impact 1 [21]

Huntington Branch NAACP v. Town of Huntington (984-90), Notes (991-92), Problems (992-93), Southern Burlington v. Township of Mount Laurel (1014-22), Notes (1022-26)

Property and Sovereignty

VIII. Zoning 1 [19]

Text (1027-30), Text (1037-38), Town of Belleville v. Parrillo’s (1038-41), Cochran v. Fairfax County (1041-46), Notes (1046-48), Stone v. City of Wilton (1048-52), Notes (1052), Problems (1052-53)

IX. Takings

A. Public Use 1 [25]

Text (1071-74), Kelo v. City of New London (1074-89), Text (1089-91), Problems (1091-93), Text (1093-96)

B. Taking

1. Ad Hoc Test 1 [31-]

Text (1097-1106), Miller v. Schoene (1106-07), Penn Central v. New York (1108-15), Keystone Bitnuminous v. deBenedictis (1115-16), Notes (1116-26), Problems (1126-28)

2. Per Se Takings (Physical, Total Economic) 2 [16+/24]

PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robins (1128-31), Loretto v. Teleprompter (1131-36), Notes (1136-43), Problems (1143-44), · Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council (1144-58), Palazzolo v. Rhode Island (1158-61), Tahoe-Sierra v. Tahoe Regional (1161-63), Notes (1163-66), Problems (1166-68)

3. Special Cases (Core Rights, Exactions) 1 [27]

Text (1168-69), Babbitt v. Youpee (1169-74), Notes (1174-76), Problems (1177-78), Dolan v. City of Tigard (1188-99), Notes (1199-1202), Problems (1202-05)

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