A Texas rancher may now sue the state after a unanimous ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The justices say Richard "Richie" DeVillier is entitled to sue for his property rights and compensation. DeVillier sued Texas in 2020 after his land located north of I-10 between Houston and Beaumont repeatedly flooded.
About 120 other property owners filed similar cases.
Texas consolidated the cases into a single proceeding, removing them to the federal court, then moved to dismiss the consolidated claim. The District Court denied Texas' motion but on appeal the Fifth Circuit reversed the decision finding against the property owners. The high court in its ruling countered that by saying property owners adversely affected by the state's construction of a three-foot tall flood evacuation barrier on the highway median can sue the state of Texas.
DeVillier says the barrier acted as a dam and during periods of heavy rainfall the barrier made his property a stormwater storage area for Texas.
photo: Getty Images