February 02, 2018 - Inverse Condemnation vs. Eminent Domain - While most people are at least somewhat familiar with the concept of eminent domain, fewer are familiar with inverse condemnation. Eminent domain refers to the power of the government to force the sale or take private property for public use. In an eminent domain situation, the government is required to pay...

October 18, 2017 - Controlled Release of Water from the Addicks/Barker Reservoirs and Lake Conroe - The wrath of Hurricane Harvey was felt across the city of Houston and beyond in late August. While Hurricane Harvey would certainly fall under the “Acts of God” category, city officials took specific actions during the hurricane which many residents in the areas believed to be unnecessary governmental acts...

October 12, 2017 - Addicks/Barker Reservoir and Lake Conroe Flooding Following “Controlled” Water Release - Those in Southeast Texas were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey in August, however some residents in the city of Houston suffered what they believe to be unnecessary flooding in their homes. Of course, no one could predict or control the devastation Hurricane Harvey brought to the area, however at 1:30 a.m. on Monday, August 28th, and later, at 10:30 p.m. that night, officials made the decision to...

September 13, 2017 - As the waters recede and residents return to evaluate the damage to their homes, some tenants are encountering a new nightmare: landlords who are demanding rent even for apartments or houses that have been flooded or severely damaged by the storm.  In some cases, tenants haven’t even been able...

September 10, 2017 - Because officials hoped to avoid a spillover at the reservoirs once they reached peak capacity, the Army Corp of Engineers made the decision to begin a “controlled release” of water out of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs back into the Buffalo Bayou. Unfortunately, this decision to release 4,000 cubic feet per second from each reservoir over a 6-10-hour period, resulted in the flooding of the surrounding neighborhoods—homes which had thus far escaped flooding from Hurricane Harvey.