On April 26, 2023, 2008, Ave Maria Law graduate Ms. Christina Martin argued the case Tyler v. Hennepin County in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. The case highlights Home Equity Theft, which is when the government takes one’s home as a property tax debt payment, and the home is worth more than what the owner owes. The government then keeps the surplus. In this case, Ms. Geraldine Tyler, a Minneapolis grandmother, failed to pay her property taxes of $2,300. The government started tacking on thousands of dollars in interest, fees, and other penalties until her total bill reached $15,000. Finally, Hennepin County, MN, seized Ms. Tyler’s condo and sold it at an auction for $40,000. Instead of keeping the $15,000 owed and refunding Geraldine the sale surplus, the county kept all $40,000, essentially pocketing a $25,000 windfall at Ms. Tyler’s expense.

Ms. Martin sat down with us to discuss the case, her preparation for litigating the case, and the role of God, faith, and reason in her approach to the law.