Introduction
The Fifth Amendment to the United Sates Constitution provides that Private property shall not be taken by the government for public use without just compensation to the owner. It may appear that the Fifth Amendment only applies to actions by the federal government. However, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution extended the application of this clause to the state governments and the local governments. When government seeks to obtain land to construct say a school or another amenity for use by the public, it must first buy land from the open market as do, private individuals. However, if the seller ...