Opinion ID: 1815835
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Does enforcement of the ordinance constitute a taking without just compensation?

Text: Finally, Kent asserts application of this ordinance constitutes a taking of his property without just compensation. The ordinance was enacted pursuant to the county's police power. We have long distinguished between eminent domain and the police power. Eminent Domain is the taking of private property for a public use for which compensation must be given. On the other hand Police Power controls and regulates the use of property for the public good for which no compensation need be made. Hinrichs v. Iowa State Highway Commission, 260 Iowa 1115, 1126, 152 N.W.2d 248, 255 (1967); see Woodbury County Soil Conservation District v. Ortner, 279 N.W.2d 276, 278 (Iowa 1979); Iowa Natural Resources Council v. Van Zee, 261 Iowa 1287, 1294, 158 N.W.2d 111, 116 (1968). A regulation purportedly enacted under the police power can be so oppressive that it constitutes a taking, and compensation is required. See Ortner, 279 N.W.2d at 278. To discover whether the ordinance goes beyond the scope of the police power, we determine if the societal benefits arising from the regulation outweigh the specific restraint or burden placed on the individual. Id.; Van Zee, 261 Iowa at 1294, 158 N.W.2d at 116. Thus, we consider the nature of the public interest involved and the impact of the restraint. Important factors include the regulation's economic impact on the owner and the extent to which it interferes with distinct investment-backed expectations. Ortner, 279 N.W.2d at 278. In this instance safety is the important public interest. The public benefits as a whole when protected from potentially dangerous animals. Kent is part of the public and shares in that benefit. We do not ignore the hardship this ordinance causes Kent. We find as the Ohio court did in Testa: This owner genuinely loves his pet. He has raised Holmes from the time she was a three-week-old lion cub. Kent's expert witness testified a definite bond exists between Kent and Holmes. Nevertheless, Kent is free to move from Polk County with Holmes or otherwise place Holmes with an acceptable organization. The board is not depriving this owner of his property. We find that the societal benefit arising from this regulation outweighs the burden on Kent. Although he claims a substantial investment in Holmes, largely by way of food, veterinary care, and shelter, Kent does not claim the ordinance interferes with a distinct investment-backed expectation. The ordinance was a valid exercise of police power and does not constitute a taking. Cf. Loftus v. Department of Agriculture, 211 Iowa 566, 232 N.W. 412 (1930) (Destruction of diseased cattle did not constitute a taking.), appeal dismissed, 283 U.S. 809, 51 S.Ct. 647, 75 L.Ed. 1427 (1931). We affirm the district court ruling that annulled the writ of certiorari. AFFIRMED.