During the reign of Donald Trump, it was fashionable to compare him to Adolf Hitler. Trump certainly exhibited dictator-like characteristics, but that comparison was used to mask policies that are much more consistent with Hitler. For example, rent control is fascism. In recent years, rent control has become more popular as a means for keeping…
Declaring access to beaches a “fundamental human right,” two legislators in Massachusetts have filed a bill that would change the boundary of private property along the ocean. The bill would mandate public access to any beach in Massachusetts from the high tide line to the water. Current law recognizes private property to the low tide…
Misunderstandings about property rights abound, with nuisance near the top of the list. A controversy in California provides an interesting case study in nuisance. The concept of nuisance as a violation of property rights has its roots in common law. A property owner, according to the concept, has a right to the peaceful use of…
State legislators in Ohio may become the latest to wage war with local governments. Last week, an Ohio House committee passed a bill that would prohibit local government from banning or directly regulating short-term rentals. Not surprisingly, local governments oppose the bill, arguing that it usurps local control and sets the stage for a battle…
Republicans in Minnesota, Mississippi, and Missouri are joining their colleagues in Texas and Florida in declaring their disdain for property rights and freedom of association. Of course, they aren’t stating it in those terms, but that is in fact what they are doing by supporting restrictions on private businesses. In Minnesota, lawmakers are considering a…
Ayn Rand correctly wrote that without property rights, no other rights are possible. And the reason is, it’s all about property rights. The right to property means the freedom to produce, trade, and use material values. If you are like most people, the bulk of your waking hours are spent producing, trading, or using material…
The beginning of the headline was intriguing: “New law protects Hoosier property rights…” The second clause of the headline—”…makes it harder for HOAs to say no to solar”—set the stage for a grand disappointment. The law does not protect property rights. What the law does do is nullify contractual agreements between neighbors. Homeowner associations (HOAs)…
Austin has become the latest city to implement a “right to return” policy. Though such policies vary, they give households an opportunity to return to a neighborhood after being displaced by gentrification. Austin will sell twenty-eight homes owned by the city to low-income households. Each property will be operated as a community land trust (CLT)….
In late March, the Montclair (New Jersey) Property Owners Association reached a compromise with city officials over a rent control ordinance the city passed in 2020. Landlords had petitioned for a referendum on the ordinance. As a part of the compromise, landlords agreed to withdraw their petition. Landlords may think that the compromise serves their…
Conservatives have long professed support for gun rights and property rights. However, in recent years conservatives have shown an increasing proclivity to abandon property rights, sometimes in the name of “gun rights.”. Political expediency, not principles, is guiding this trend. As an example, when Big Tech prohibits the expression of certain ideas, conservatives have responded…
Contrary to the claims of most individuals who comment on property rights in space, an international agreement is not necessary to establish those rights. Neither a treaty nor an international body to oversee space is appropriate. What is needed is a unilateral declaration regarding property rights in space. What is needed is a statement that…
The new framework presented here rejects the premises that dominate the discussion of property rights in space. It rejects the premise that the “celestial commons” belongs to all of mankind. The “celestial commons” is unowned. It is a vast resource that is open to every human being to explore and exploit if they are able…