He fell behind on his taxes. So the government seized his home, sold it, and kept the $258,000 profit.

He fell behind on his taxes. So the government seized his home, sold it, and kept the $258,000 profit.

First the government seized Kenneth Michael Sikorsky's home and all of its equity over a tax debt worth far less than what it took. Now a federal court has ruled that Sikorsky has successfully stated a claim for a taking—an early sign that the legal landscape is shifting since the Supreme Court weighed in on these sorts of seizures two years ago. In 2012, the city of Newburgh, New York, foreclosed on Sikorsky's house after he fell behind on his …