What is an inverse condemnation claim?

Inverse condemnation occurs when a property owner claims the government has effectively taken their property without formally exercising eminent domain and without paying just compensation. Unlike condemnation where the government initiates the action, inverse condemnation is filed by the property owner who alleges a government action, such as flooding land through a public project or imposing regulations that eliminate all economic use, amounts to a taking. If successful, the court orders the government to pay just compensation. The landmark Supreme Court case Lucas v.