Montclair v. Ramsdell was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of taxation. The case involved a dispute between the town of Montclair, New Jersey and the Ramsdell family over the taxation of a piece of property owned by the Ramsdells. The Ramsdells argued that the town had improperly assessed the property and that the assessment was too high. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Ramsdells, ruling that the town had improperly assessed the property and that the assessment was too high. The Court held that the town had failed to take into account the value of the improvements made to the property by the Ramsdells, and that the assessment should have been based on the value of the property as improved. The Court also held that the town had failed to provide the Ramsdells with adequate notice of the assessment and that the assessment was therefore invalid. The Court's ruling established that municipalities must take into account the value of improvements made to property when assessing taxes, and that they must provide adequate notice to taxpayers of any assessment.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Montclair v. Ramsdell, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both law and justice. He argued that it was not within the power of a state legislature to pass an act which would take away vested rights from individuals without due process of law or just compensation for their losses. Furthermore, he asserted that if such acts were allowed then no property owner could be secure in his possessions as any legislative body could pass laws taking away private property with impunity. Justice Field concluded by stating that while there may have been some public benefit derived from this particular case, it should not come at the expense of violating constitutional principles and depriving citizens of their rights without proper legal proceedings or just compensation being provided first.