The legal doctrine of regulatory takings: An evolving issue.

Under the U.S. Constitution, a governmental unit may not seize property from an owner without due process and just compensation to the owner. The power of eminent domain is usually applied to outright seizures of property wherein title to land passes from the owner to the government. But a new property rights movement is pressing for legislation that would grant compensation to owners whenever a new law brings about a drastic decline in a property's value because of restriction on future development.