Kaiser Aetna et al. v. United States

Decided December 4, 1979. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 78-738 · 444 U.S. 164 (1979) · Cited 940 times

Holding

If the Government wishes to make what was formerly Kuapa Pond into a public aquatic park after petitioners have proceeded as far as they have here, it may not, without invoking its eminent domain power and paying just compensation, require them to allow the public free access to the dredged pond.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• The Daniel Ball · 77 U.S. 557 (1871)
• United States v. Rands · 389 U.S. 121 (1967)
• The Propeller Genesee Chief v. Fitzhugh · 53 U.S. 443 (1852)
• United States v. Chandler-Dunbar Water Power Co. · 229 U.S. 53 (1913)
• United States v. Appalachian Electric Power Co. · 311 U.S. 377 (1941)
• United States v. Twin City Power Co. · 350 U.S. 222 (1956)
• Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City · 438 U.S. 104 (1978)
• Scranton v. Wheeler · 179 U.S. 141 (1900)
• United States v. Willow River Power Co. · 324 U.S. 499 (1945)
• Gibbons v. Ogden · 22 U.S. 1 (1824)
• Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon · 260 U.S. 393 (1922)
• Monongahela Navigation Co. v. United States · 148 U.S. 312 (1893)
• United States v. Cress · 243 U.S. 316 (1917)
• United States v. Virginia Electric & Power Co. · 365 U.S. 624 (1961)
• United States v. Kansas City Life Insurance · 339 U.S. 799 (1950)
• United States v. Commodore Park, Inc. · 324 U.S. 386 (1945)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. · 301 U.S. 1 (1937)
• Wickard v. Filburn · 317 U.S. 111 (1942)
• United States v. Miller · 317 U.S. 369 (1943)
• United States v. Darby · 312 U.S. 100 (1941)
• United States v. Causby · 328 U.S. 256 (1946)
• International News Service v. Associated Press · 248 U.S. 215 (1919)
• United States Ex Rel. Tennessee Valley Authority v. Powelson · 319 U.S. 266 (1943)
• United States v. Rio Grande Dam & Irrigation Co. · 174 U.S. 690 (1899)
• United States Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Hibi · 414 U.S. 5 (1973)
• United States v. Republic Steel Corp. · 362 U.S. 482 (1960)
• Gibson v. United States · 166 U.S. 269 (1897)
• United States v. Utah · 283 U.S. 64 (1931)
• Portsmouth Harbor Land & Hotel Co. v. United States · 260 U.S. 327 (1922)
• Montana v. Kennedy · 366 U.S. 308 (1961)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Loretto v. Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. · 458 U.S. 419 (1982)
• Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid · 594 U.S. 139 (2021)
• Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council · 505 U.S. 1003 (1992)
• Dolan v. City of Tigard · 512 U.S. 374 (1994)
• Ruckelshaus v. Monsanto Co. · 467 U.S. 986 (1984)
• Horne v. Department of Agriculture · 576 U.S. 351 (2015)
• Nollan v. California Coastal Commission · 483 U.S. 825 (1987)
• Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel · 524 U.S. 498 (1998)
• Preseault v. Interstate Commerce Commission · 494 U.S. 1 (1990)
• MacDonald, Sommer & Frates v. Yolo County · 477 U.S. 340 (1986)
• Hodel v. Irving · 481 U.S. 704 (1987)
• Sturgeon v. Frost · 587 U.S. 28 (2019)
• Williamson County Regional Planning Commission v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City · 473 U.S. 172 (1985)
• Hodel v. Virginia Surface Mining & Reclamation Assn., Inc. · 452 U.S. 264 (1981)
• Yee v. City of Escondido · 503 U.S. 519 (1992)
• United States v. Security Industrial Bank · 459 U.S. 70 (1982)
• Connolly v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation · 475 U.S. 211 (1986)
• Pennell v. City of San Jose · 485 U.S. 1 (1988)
• San Diego Gas & Electric Co. v. City of San Diego · 450 U.S. 621 (1981)
• Rawlings v. Kentucky · 448 U.S. 98 (1980)
• Heckler v. Community Health Services of Crawford County, Inc. · 467 U.S. 51 (1984)
• College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board · 527 U.S. 666 (1999)
• Agins v. City of Tiburon · 447 U.S. 255 (1980)
• First English Evangelical Lutheran Church v. County of Los Angeles · 482 U.S. 304 (1987)
• Lingle v. Chevron U. S. A. Inc. · 544 U.S. 528 (2005)
• PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robins · 447 U.S. 74 (1980)
• Keystone Bituminous Coal Assn. v. DeBenedictis · 480 U.S. 470 (1987)
• United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc. · 474 U.S. 121 (1985)
• United States v. Craft · 535 U.S. 274 (2002)
• United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians · 448 U.S. 371 (1980)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1979). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).