About AASPO

The American Association of Small Property Owners (AASPO) is the only national grassroots organization for the ten million small owners of residential and commercial investment properties. AASPO aims to restore common sense and fairness to laws, regulations, taxes and litigation that are needlessly penalizing small property owners. AASPO is classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization.

AASPO pursues its mission in many ways, including representing small property owners at Congressional hearings, in the U.S. Supreme Court, and in numerous proceedings of regulatory agencies, state legislatures, and state and federal courts. AASPO operates through three project groups: Litigation, Public Policy Advocacy, and Communications.

Litigation. AASPO’s litigation project group concentrates on two distinct approaches. In cases presenting legal issues of national significance, AASPO files amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court. To date, AASPO has filed ten briefs on important property rights cases. On the state level, AASPO provides either amicus support or direct representation to parties involved in property rights disputes that will set important legal precedent on policies and practices of state and local governments. Through aggressive action to prevent recurring abuses, AASPO intends to “change the culture by litigation.” No other public interest litigating organization handles the full range of legal issues impacting real estate and private property ownership, thus propelling AASPO to fill an important void.

Advocacy. AASPO engages the public policy advocacy group in projects which encompass all federal Congressional testimony; federal legislation involving property rights, environmental regulation and tax policy; state and local legislation; and, federal or state regulations comments and participation in regulatory proceedings. Since its founding in 1993, AASPO has engineered several impressive wins. Recent victories include defeat of national mandates for smart growth thereby retaining local control over zoning decisions, stopping expanded federal funding for land acquisition, garnering congressional support to limit federal environmental regulation over isolated wetlands, and tax reform that resulted in reducing capital gains taxes, increasing business expensing, and phasing out the death tax.

At any one time, AASPO identifies two or three major issues as part of its national advocacy agenda. Foremost at the present time is the promotion of an Ombudsman, based on the unique Utah model, to resolve land use and environmental disputes involving government entities and private property owners. In response to the Supreme Court decision giving local zoning boards and commissions unprecedented power over land condemnations, we are sponsoring the Kelo Coalition, a national grassroots project to work with local groups on education, advocacy, litigation and communications, in the land planning process.

AASPO’s first major accomplishment was its role in ending more than 25 years of rent control in Massachusetts through a citizen referendum in 1994.

Communications. Communications is the cornerstone of our strategy: to get the message out to the media, general public and elected officials, and to motivate grassroots property owners everywhere. Our publications, web site and conferences are designed to provide information and education to property owners and to the general public. AASPO’s print newsletter, The Small Property Owner, was voted the Best Independent Real Estate Newsletter by the National Association of Real Estate Editors.

AASPO was founded in 1993 on the belief that hard work and the generosity of financial supporters will put the American dream of buying real estate, using it responsibly, and building economic security within the grasp of far more Americans.