Steve Crooks and Era Lea Crooks v. State of Louisiana, Department of Natural Resources

Summary

The court held that the plaintiffs' inverse-condemnation claims were governed by the three-year prescriptive period for property taken by the state, rather than the one-year period for damage to immovable property. Because the plaintiffs knew or should have known of the increased inundation by 1973 but filed suit in 2006, their compensation claims were prescribed, and the continuing-tort doctrine did not apply. The court nevertheless held that the plaintiffs stated a cause of action against the State for mineral royalties, so the judgment was reversed in part and affirmed in all other respects.