Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. Case Brief

Supreme Court of the United States1982Docket #1858110
73 L. Ed. 2d 868 102 S. Ct. 3164 458 U.S. 419 1982 U.S. LEXIS 150 8 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1849 50 U.S.L.W. 4988 Property Constitutional Law Land Use

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A New York law forced a landlord to allow a cable company to permanently install equipment on her building. The Supreme Court held that any permanent physical occupation, no matter how small, is a per se taking requiring just compensation.

Legal Significance: Established the “permanent physical occupation” rule: any government-authorized permanent physical occupation of private property is a per se taking, regardless of the public interest served or the minimal economic impact on the owner.

Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

A New York statute, N.Y. Exec. Law § 828, required landlords to permit cable television companies to install facilities on their rental properties. Pursuant to this law, Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. installed cable equipment, including wires, plates, and boxes, on the roof and exterior wall of an apartment building owned by appellant Jean Loretto. The installation occupied approximately 1.5 cubic feet of space. The statute also authorized a state commission to determine a reasonable fee for this access, which was set at a one-time payment of $1. Loretto, who purchased the building after the installation was in place, filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the installation constituted a taking of her property without just compensation in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. The New York Court of Appeals upheld the statute, applying a balancing test and concluding that the minor intrusion did not constitute a taking because it did not have an excessive economic impact or interfere with reasonable investment-backed expectations.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a state law authorizing a minor but permanent physical occupation of a landlord’s property by a cable television company constitute a taking for which just compensation is required under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments?

Yes. The New York law authorizing the permanent physical installation of cable Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in repre

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Does a state law authorizing a minor but permanent physical occupation of a landlord’s property by a cable television company constitute a taking for which just compensation is required under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments?

Conclusion

This case created a crucial categorical rule within Takings Clause jurisprudence, establishing Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation

Legal Rule

A permanent physical occupation of private property authorized by government is a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea comm

Legal Analysis

The Court, in an opinion by Justice Marshall, established a bright-line, categorical Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia dese

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Flash Summary

  • A permanent physical occupation of private property authorized by government is
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo co

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