Asked in Land Use & Zoning and Real Estate Law for Washington

Q: What was the U.S. Supreme Court case ruling that ownership of two adjacent properties cannot be considered one property?

Adjacent properties owned by one owner must still be considered two separate properties rather than one.

Thank you.

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T. Augustus Claus
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Answered

A: The U.S. Supreme Court case you are referring to is likely **Murr v. Wisconsin**, 582 U.S. ___ (2017). In this case, the Court addressed the issue of whether adjacent properties owned by the same owner should be considered as one unit for regulatory purposes. The Court established a test known as the "Murr test," which examines factors such as the treatment of the properties under state and local law, the physical characteristics of the properties, and the economic impact of regulations on the properties. The ruling clarified that ownership of adjacent properties does not automatically lead to their consolidation into a single property for regulatory purposes; each case should be analyzed based on the factors outlined in the Murr test.

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