U.S. Supreme Court to hear case of Minnesota woman

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U.S. Supreme Court to hear case of woman whose home was seized by Hennepin Co.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of a 94-year-old Minneapolis woman whose home was seized and sold by Hennepin County for unpaid taxes.

Geraldine Tyler left a north Minneapolis condo in 2010, renting an apartment in what she considered a safer neighborhood. But she maintained ownership of the place she called home for 11 years.

By 2015, she racked up about $15,000 in unpaid property taxes, penalties, interest, and fees. At that point, the county sold her one-bedroom condo for about $40,000, $25,000 more than she owed.

“And that’s perfectly legal under state law,” says Christina Martin of the Pacific Legal Foundation.

Martin is the lead attorney on Tyler’s case. She says Minnesota is one of 12 states to regularly seize people’s property and keep all the proceeds. No matter the amount of debts – which banks or private entities are not allowed to do.

“We recognize that the government has a right to collect the debt, but we just want the government to be treated like everybody else,” said Martin.

A Hennepin County spokesperson tells us: “When a property owner fails to pay taxes and does not avail herself of the numerous ways to remedy the deficiency — including selling the property, using the sales proceeds to pay the tax and keeping any surplus — the state’s retention of the surplus is not an unconstitutional taking, nor is it an excessive fine.”

A Pacific Legal Foundation study found Minnesota seized homes from at least 1,360 people this way between 2014 and 2021. The debts averaged about 8% of the home’s value, raising more than $100 million in equity.

“That’s a huge amount of money that’s essentially taken from society’s most vulnerable members,” said Martin. “And it’s disproportionately people who are elderly, sick, and just often very poor.”

Two courts have sided with the county, but the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Tyler’s case, likely sometime in April.

Catch Up Quick 

🏛️ A bill that would restore voting rights for felons in Minnesota who have served their time advanced through its first committee in the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday. The “Restore the Vote” bill passed in a 7-6 vote of the Elections Committee along party lines, with all Democrats voting in favor and all Republicans voting against.

🏫 The former Hamline University art professor who lost her job after showing paintings depicting Muhammad, sparking controversy among Muslim students, is now bringing a lawsuit against the university.

⚖️ On the first day of trial for the alleged gunman accused of murdering a star Minneapolis North High student-athlete, the victim’s family is demanding authorities criminally investigate the school’s popular principal for her role in the tragic events of February 9, 2022.

Ottertail angler hooked on catching all 63 fish native to Minnesota; 9 left to go

When Cayden Hutmacher caught an American Eel on the end of his fishing line a month ago, he not only captured an elusive species of fish, he also came one step closer to reaching his ultimate goal.

“We’ve been after that for like five years so that was a pretty insane moment for all of us. We were all shouting, cheering. It’s been a long time for that,” said Hutmacher.

Hutmacher has been hooked on the sport ever since he can remember. He caught a Tiger Musky when he was a Cub Scout about 10 years ago.

When his dad asked him which trophy fish he wanted to go after next, Cayden decided he wanted to catch all 63 fish native to Minnesota that have a state record. So far he’s caught 54, with just 9 left to go.

“Just the catch and release part of it man, and how pretty the fish are and how big they are too. They are pretty interesting creatures,” said Hutmacher.

Over the last decade, the 18-year-old has caught everything from Large Mouth Bass and Walleye to more unusual fish like Warmouth and River Redhorse.

He even set a new state record for a prehistoric-looking species called a Shortnose Gar, when he caught a 5-pound, 4-ounce one, breaking the old record that had been on the books for more than 30 years.

“My motto is to get them off the Xbox and into the tackle box. Stuff I did with my dad and I think more kids need to get outdoors. And that’s something we’ve been doing, and we’ve been pushing it with other kids,” said Cayden’s dad Chad Hutmacher.

Cayden isn’t sure if he will finish his list in his lifetime because some of the fish are so rare.

But he’ll continue to cast his line, usually with his dad and brother Chris, and post the videos on his brother’s YouTube Channel, Things Chris Does, until he can’t anymore.

“I hope we can get it done. I hope I can get it done with my dad. That would be a good thing. Really nice. I don’t want to do it alone, that’s for sure,” said Hutmacher.

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