State Ex Rel. Hilltop Basic Resources, Inc. v. City of Cincinnati

Mark P. Painter, Judge.

{¶ 1} When the government takes property, it must pay compensation. And taking isn’t limited to physical confiscation — it can also be by impairing the property’s value by, as here, cutting off access.

{¶ 2} In this case, the city of Cincinnati has denied access to a piece of property, leaving it landlocked — and not just figuratively, but literally: the only access would be by boat. Cincinnati not being Waterworld, boat access is not sufficient. Though the city makes a series of bizarre arguments attempting to support its position, its legal position is as wet as the…