An Introduction To Contra Costa Sanitary District V Superior Court

An Introduction To Contra Costa Sanitary District V. The Superior Court of Contra Costa County

This case is the first case we will consider on Law4LandSurveyors. It does not pertain directly to Land Surveying,
but involves important issues related to real property and the rights of the sovereign. I have posted a brief that
presents my summary of the case. This case comes from California, and was decided in 1950. The two parties were the
Contra Costa Sanitary District and the Superior Court of Contra Costa County.

Why is this case important?

This case is one of many that highlights the struggle in finding a balance between the rights of the community, or the public, as enforced by the government, and the rights of a private property owner. It also illustrates how important the interpretation of ambiguous statements in a law can be. It deals specifically with the right of a government agency to take immediate possession of private property in connection with construction of public infrastructure.

What do you need to know to understand this case?

To fully understand this case, it will be helpful to understand the following:

[1] The Principle of Eminent Domain
[2] The Rights of the Sovereign
[3] Easements
[4] The Rights Of Real Property Ownership

I hope to address each of these topics in greater detail in the future on Law4LandSurveyors.

I hope you enjoy reading over the brief of our first case.

The Sunburned Surveyor