In the 1902 case of Young Women's Christian Home v. French, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a dispute over property rights and charitable donations. The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) had been bequeathed a piece of land by Mrs. Sarah A.Walker in her will, but Mr.French, who held a lease to part of this land, contested this donation arguing that it was not valid under District of Columbia law which required all such gifts to be made in writing and signed by the donor or their authorized agent. The YWCA countered that they were exempt from these requirements as they were an unincorporated association rather than an individual person or corporation. The court sided with Mr.French stating that while there may have been some ambiguity about whether unincorporated associations fell under these laws when they were first enacted; subsequent amendments had clarified their inclusion within its scope.The court also noted that even if this was not the case,the gift would still be invalid because it did not meet other legal requirements for transferring property rights,such as being delivered during Mrs.Walker’s lifetime.Therefore,the court upheld Mr.French’s claim to his leased portion of the land.

In the dissenting opinion for Young Women's Christian Home v. French, Justice Harlan argued that the majority had erred in its interpretation of Washington D.C.'s building regulations. He contended that these laws were designed to protect public safety and welfare by preventing construction projects from encroaching on neighboring properties or public spaces without consent. In this case, he believed that the defendant had violated these principles by extending their building onto a shared alleyway without obtaining permission from all parties involved, including the plaintiff who owned part of said alleyway. Therefore, he disagreed with the majority's decision to allow this infringement upon property rights and suggested it set a dangerous precedent for future cases involving similar disputes over land use and ownership.