Eminent Domain abuse - over?

[keith]

The most basic right of a free society is for individuals to own property. "Eminent domain" allows governments to seize property for "public good". This has been abused by many to also seize property for "private good", e.g. your house is in the way of Walmart, and we need the tax dollars that a Walmart would bring, so your perfectly nice house is seized and demolished.

At last the tide is turning:

Unanimous decision to overrule 20-year old precedent

The court’s Wayne County opinion stated: “Poletown’s economic benefit rationale would validate practically any exercise of the power of eminent domain on behalf of a private entity. After all, if one’s ownership of private property is forever subject to the government’s determination that another private party would put one’s land to better use, then the ownership of real property is perpetually threatened by the expansion plans of any large discount retailer, ‘megastore,’ or the like.”

If you haven't been aware of this issue, it is true that YOUR house, ANY house, could be demolished to make way for a Walmart. A friend of mine had a nice oceanfront house in Connecticut. A large drug company took over the neighborhood - eminent domain - and now my friend doesn't have his oceanfront house!

Everyone's property would generate more tax dollars if the houses were torn down and a big business put in its place!

Keith.

 

[tweeker43]

sweet merciful crap! since i agree with keith on this issue (red letter day

), i'd better post.

freep 1

freep 2

it is a horrible travesty to misuse imminent domain for the seizure of private property, by the government, to give to another private group. this has been going on for years, in the name of "blight removal" and "community improvement." this victory in michigan will hopefully get things turned in the right direction, but the likelihood of sea change on this issue is low in my opinion. too many business dollars buying politicians, and too many cities, towns, and municipalities trying to increase the tax base or create jobs.

here's to the first victory, hopefully with many more to come!

 

[427Z06]

It's good to see this travesty of justice start to move in the other direction. Funny how they like to let the law of supply and demand to just be suspended for the little guy using Eminent Domain.

 

[moribundman]

Keith, don't pay your property taxes and find out who really owns "your property."

 

[Scott P]

Didn't these drug companies get enough from the current Medicare program that they now have these extra benefits?

 

[keith]

This stuff is where your rights are getting whittled away:

CHECKING GOV'T GREED

" Soon — perhaps on the first Monday in October — the court will announce whether it will hear an appeal against a 4-3 ruling last March by Connecticut's Supreme Court. That ruling effectively repeals a crucial portion of the Bill of Rights."

 

[T-Keith]

15 years ago my father had 1-1/2 acres of property. They decided to move the road and offered him nearly nothing for the property they were taking(about 1/4 acre), so when he said no they just took it. After moving the road they gave the land where the old road was to a developer. So in effect they gave his land to someone else.

A few years back when they decided to widen the road and take another 1/4 acre, he was a little better off. Despite taking about 8 3'+ dia trees(guess the lawyers beat the environmentalist here) He got a nursery to transplant half of his 12 10'+ spruce trees in exchange for the other half.

-T

 

[goodoleboy]

I can see jobs as being " for the public good" But when the price the the land the govt offers should be way more than fair market value.

What ever happened to, its worth whatever someone is willing to pay? Why didn't GM do the price haggling?

 

[moribundman]

Nevermind. I just noticed I've already said what I had to say. Carry on.