When it's finally time to turn in for the night, consider that the house you live in — and what it's worth — could be affected by the Supreme Court's handiwork. The court is frequently called on to interpret the anti-discrimination Fair Housing Act. This term, it is considering Bank of America v. Miami and Wells Fargo v. Miami, in which the banks are challenging the city's right to sue them for predatory lending practices that led to foreclosures and declining property taxes and property values.
And hope you can hang on to that house. In 2005, the court ruled in Kelo v. New London that cities can take away people's homes to make way for shopping malls or other private development. The court gave local governments broad power to seize property to generate tax revenue. More than 40 states have since taken steps to amend their eminent domain laws to protect property rights.
Photo: In this June 23, 2005, file photo, Bill Von Winkle stands in the street in front of two of the properties he owns in the Fort Trumbull section of New London, Conn.
