ELR Citation: 53 ELR 20052
No(s). 21-1164 (U.S. Mar 28, 2023)

The U.S. Supreme Court held, 6-3, that Montana landowners' challenge to an easement allowing public access to a road running through their property was not time barred. The landowners sued over the scope of the easement under the Quiet Title Act (QTA), arguing the road's public use intruded on their private lives. The U.S. government asserted the suit was jurisdictionally barred by the QTA's 12-year time limit on challenges brought against it for using or modifying property. The Court held the Act's time bar was a nonjurisdictional claims-processing rule, reversed the lower court's contrary ruling, and remanded for further proceedings. Sotomayor, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Roberts, C. J., and Alito, J., joined.