If you have an older brother or sister, you probably have scars that remind you of sibling battles over the coveted window seat in the family station wagon and in airplanes. We never lose that desire, and over the past few decades, there have been several lawsuits over scenic views, or lost scenic views. Often, these suits are filed in ocean-front communities. Everyone wants a great view. And when people finally get it, they often don't want anyone else to have it.
City dwellers face similar challenges.
A penthouse view can be worth a fortune, until a new, taller high-rise is constructed. Sometimes people also fight to protect wooded views, or views of mountains or canyons. When people have a great view, they often fight to protect it. This is what lead to the recently decided case of Hartz Mountain Industries v. the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection., which was decided earlier this year. At issue in this administrative law case was an attempt by Hartz Mountain to build right on the Hudson River, which would have diminished a very famous public view of the New York skyline.