The president cannot seize private property in the absence of either specifically enumerated authority under the Constitution or statutory authority given to them by Congress. Commander-in-chief powers do not extend to labor disputes. Decided June 2, 1952 (argued 1952). Opinion of the Court: Hugo Black → go there Dissenting: Vinson. Topic: Domestic. Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952), also commonly referred to as the Steel Seizure Case or the Youngstown Steel case, is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision that limited the power of the president of the United States to seize private property. The case served as a check on the most far-reaching claims of executive power at the time and signaled the Court's increased willingness to intervene in political questions. Wiki link