In the 1895 case of Laing v. Rigney, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over property rights and inheritance laws in Alabama. The plaintiff, Mrs. Laing, claimed that she was entitled to certain properties as an heir of her late father's estate which were being held by Mr. Rigney who had purchased them from other heirs without her knowledge or consent while she was still a minor under Alabama law at that time (21 years old). She argued this sale violated her right to due process because she wasn't given notice or opportunity to contest it before reaching legal adulthood. The court ruled against Mrs. Laing stating that although minors are generally protected from such transactions until they reach majority age, those protections do not extend indefinitely after reaching adulthood if no action is taken within reasonable time frame to assert their rights - known as "laches" (unreasonable delay) in legal terms. The court also noted there was no evidence presented showing any fraudulent intent on part of Mr.Rigney during purchase transaction nor did he have any obligation under state law then existing to notify all potential heirs about his intention prior buying these properties.

In the dissenting opinion for Laing v. Rigney, Justice Brewer argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with previous rulings and principles of equity. He contended that a mortgagee should not be allowed to bid at their own sale without first paying off all prior liens on the property, as this would essentially allow them to acquire title free from those liens while still holding onto their original debt claim. This, he believed, unfairly disadvantaged other lienholders who were unable to protect their interests in such situations. Furthermore, he disagreed with the majority's assertion that there was no collusion between parties involved in this case; instead asserting that evidence suggested otherwise and thus warranted further investigation by lower courts before making any final determinations about ownership rights or obligations.