The Institute for Justice is dedicated to protecting the right of every American to own and use his or her property freely. Respecting the right of private property is essential to a just and prosperous society. But government at all levels—local, state and federal—routinely infringe on these rights.
- IJ has filed over 50 cases to defend private property rights, including the infamous U.S. Supreme Court decision of Kelo v. New London.
- Thanks to our litigation and activism efforts, we have saved more than 16,000 properties from the abuse of eminent domain.
- We published Policing for Profit, a 50-state study of civil forfeiture laws, releasing the second edition in late 2015. Through our cutting-edge litigation, communications and strategic research, we have transformed civil forfeiture into a national issue.
- Since January 2016, we have filed 23 new property rights lawsuits, including a class action against New York City’s “no-fault” evictions and challenges to civil forfeiture in California, Oklahoma, Arizona, Indiana, New Mexico and Connecticut. In addition, we launched new cases against government land grabs in Connecticut and Georgia, challenged Dallas’ oppressive use of “amortization” against a popular auto mechanic, filed a lawsuit against rental inspections in Minnesota and sued a major Ohio city to allow a charity continue to shelter homeless people.
Today, two of the greatest threats to private property rights are the abuse of eminent domain and civil forfeiture laws. Eminent domain is the power of the government to take private property for a “public use,” like bridges or roads. But in the 1990s and early 2000s, local governments increasingly used eminent domain for private development. In Kelo v. New London, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government could condemn homes and businesses, not for a genuine public use but to hand them over to private developers. We are committed to defending property owners who face eminent domain for private gain.
Civil forfeiture allows law enforcement to seize and keep private property, even if the owner has never been charged with a crime. We are leading the charge to restore due process and respect for property rights. No one should lose his or her property without being convicted of a crime.
Private Property Cases
Connecticut family takes legal action after town threatens to ban them from having hikers on property
Charles and Eli Copley believed they found their dream home when they purchased a beautiful fixer-upper cottage on a 50-acre plot of land in the town of Roxbury, Connecticut, in 2022. Intent on turning…
Latest Private Property Events
Zoning Justice Project
Short Circuit Live: 100 Years of Zoning—and Reform—in Cambridge
Join us for a live recording of the Short Circuit podcast! Monday, October 19, 2026 at 12pm the Sheraton Commander Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Appropriately for the location, it’s a very Cambridge-focused episode.
Private Property
Zoning Justice Project
Making Room: Re-Legalizing America’s Most Affordable Housing Option
Join the Institute for Justice for a webinar exploring how relegalizing co-living or single-room occupancies (SROs) can expand affordable housing, strengthen property rights, and reduce homelessness – without new spending or bureaucracy. Featuring policy…
Zoning Justice Project
Breaking Barriers: Zoning Reform as a Solution to America’s Housing Crisis
Join the Institute for Justice and special guests for an in-depth look at zoning reform as a practical, market-driven solution to America’s housing crisis. This webinar will explain how restrictive zoning laws fuel the…
Private Property Legislation
Economic Liberty | Private Property | Zoning Justice Project
Restoring Options in Occupancy Models (ROOM) Act
Co-living or single-room occupancy (SRO) housing was once a common and lawful part of America’s housing landscape, from spare bedrooms and small boarding houses to large residential hotels in the city. Together, these rooms…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Criminal Forfeiture Process Act
Civil forfeiture allows the government to seize cars, cash, and other property with few safeguards for property owners. To lose your property in most states, prosecutors do not have to charge you, let…
Private Property Research
SWAT Destruction
Public Benefit Private Burden
This study finds governments frequently refuse to compensate people when law enforcement damages their property for the common good—even though they could easily afford to make worthy owners whole.
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Policing for Profit 4
This fourth edition of IJ’s Policing for Profit report finds civil forfeiture is a massive unjustified threat to property and due process rights.
Private Property Podcasts
June 05, 2026
SEIZED CASH: Americans Struggle to Get Property Back
In America, police and prosecutors can take your cash, your car, or even your home through a legal process called civil forfeiture—without convicting or even […]
Listen NowMarch 26, 2026
City Tried to CONDEMN Property Over 2 Stray Cats
What happens when the government tries to take well-kept homes and businesses by slapping them with a “blight” label that doesn’t fit? Perth Amboy, New […]
Listen NowFebruary 26, 2026
NYC has 1000’s of empty apartments. You'll never guess why.
New York City is in a housing crisis—and according to official statistics, roughly 26,000 rent stabilized apartments sit vacant. That’s because New York City law […]
Listen NowDecember 18, 2025
Recent VICTORIES Against Civil Forfeiture
Brian Moore and Cristal Starling both lost their money to civil forfeiture, despite neither being charged with a crime. Both of them challenged those forfeitures […]
Listen Now