In the legal battle between the City of San Francisco and property owners who wish to overturn a new law requiring them to compensate Ellis Act evictees with potentially large cash awards, a federal judge has asked the city to prove that such payments aren't tantamount to a seizure of property akin to eminent domain. As you recall, under the new law a tenant evicted from a rent-controlled unit in a desirable neighborhood could walk away with something like $100K in some cases. The city argues that the payouts are not a seizure of profits but a measure similar to rent control. [SF Examiner]
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