Inverse condemnation

Inverse condemnation means that the government is taking someone's property but without actually using the legal process that is usually required to do so. It's kind of like when you borrow a toy from a friend, but you don't really ask for permission first.

So if the government wants to build a highway and they need to use someone's land to do it, they usually have to go through a legal process called "condemnation" in order to do so. This means they have to ask the property owner if they can buy the land for the highway and then pay a fair price for it.

But sometimes, the government might do something that makes it impossible for the property owner to use the land in the way that they want to, even though the government has not actually taken the land. For example, if the government builds a dam or a road that causes flooding on someone's property, or if they block access to someone's land, then the property owner might not be able to use their land in the same way that they used to.

When this happens, the property owner can sue the government for "inverse condemnation." This means that they're saying that the government has essentially taken their property without following the legal process required to do so, and they want to be compensated for the damages that they have suffered as a result.