For nearly 20 years, a water management district in Orange County, Florida, has been making extortionate demands of a Florida family trying to develop a small portion of their land. The family has refused to give in to the demands, and their determination has paid off. The U.S. Supreme Court has declared they don’t have to.

Paul Beard, the attorney who argued the case for the Koontz family, joins Steve Stanek in this Heartland Daily Podcast for a refreshingly positive talk about the victory and the new protections property owners have against overly demanding local, state and federal governments nationwide.

Paul carefully explains the implications of the two critical rulings in this case.  The first is that governments must prove that monetary exactions, like fees for a specific project, are undeniably connected to the project.  The second ruling prevents governments from “getting creative” to avoid court scrutiny.

Paul is excited about the results:

Now … we’ve got the protection of the Constitution that forces governments to prove their case, to prove … what they’re asking for is really litigation, and not simply extortion.”

This landmark ruling applies to every landowner in the states.  Get all the interesting details on the Koontz ruling and how it can protect you from government extortion in the player above.