Developers and Local Gov can now take your home

[glenn kangiser]

Like your house  Now if it stands in the way of increased tax revenue private developers can take it.  Thanks, government, "Supreme" court, and developers.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44958

Maybe this will help.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45029

[Chuckca]

Glenn - are you speaking "socially?"

[Jimmy C.]

A few years ago when I lived in Hurst, Texas.
The city decided to upgrade and expand the 20-year-old NorthEast Mall complex.

They zoned something like 30 acres of nearby residential area as commercial.
People that lived in the area for 30 years were forced to move.
I think it was the first time in Texas the imminent domain law was used for a commercial purpose.

http://www.worldfreeinternet.net/news/nws79.htm

They are doing the same thing right now in Arlington Texas to make room for the new Cowboys football Stadium.

[glenn kangiser]

I just want to make people aware of the loss of their property rights.  I don't do much about it-- just like the rest of us ostrich's.

I think the difference now is that rather than take your home for the expansion  of a public use place a developer can take your house with government help just if you stand in the way of his private project if he can prove that his project will generate more tax revenue than your living there does.  This can theoretically take anyones home in the US if it is desired by a private interest.

[Jimmy C.]

In Hurst Texas, It was a very stange view after they dozed all of the houses and trees. The only thing remaining for a while was the road, driveways, and some of the  foundations. It looked like something from a nuclear war. People chained themselves to toilets in their houses, trees in their yards, only to be removed by law officials. I stood next to one middle aged couple as they watched their home of 30 years reduced to rubble. They only started crying when the bull dozer pushed over a tree they planted the day they got married and moved in.
 

[ebass]

Hi Glenn, everybody:

It would be interesting to know how the Justice Souter case plays out, considering how highly placed he is in the Justice Department........with his power and influence vs. a local gov't body, a final judgment could take years..... (and all of this in the "live free or die" state.... imagine that!).......

(My two cents) One of the ways people can try to "avoid" something like this (if it is possible) is to buy rural land, try to live as far away from development as they can and hope for the best
 (and praying wouldn't hurt).

Here in western Massachusetts, eminent domain laws go back a long time in history and are deeply embedded in the minds of the local population..... in the late 1930's the state confiscated four entire towns, large ammounts of private property and flooded the region to create a huge reservoir (Quabbin Reservoir) so the city of Boston would have drinking water......

So, you see....... it's the same if you live in Texas, or Massachusetts, or anywhere else in the country........


Best wishes to all of you,

ebass

[vojacek]

glenn, thank u for starting this disscusion. the best way to take rights from people is slowly, and quietly. jews were told years before the holocaust they just couldn't own dogs. pretty scary....

[Daddymem]

Yeah, eminent domain has been around and used regularly for roadways and bridges.  My company has worked on the side of the people losing their land to boost the value of the land many times.  The new issue is how easy it is to invoke eminent domain with this new ruling.  It was supposed to be for the public's rights to outweigh private interests.  With this ruling private interests are being pitted against private interests based on what kind of economic bonus can be had by the public.  This is not good at all, and you can bet there will be many cases in urban areas challenging this ruling.  I can think of a few projects I have worked on where it would be convenient to "take" an abutter's property to build a detention basin or entrance for a subdivision....believe me, this is coming unless the ruling is reversed somehow.

[Kevin]

I think that it will not be long before some owers will stand there ground and want to fight it out. If they use violence it will draw a lot of notice. It was one thing when it was for public use but private is just plain BULL!
Kevin

[Daddymem]

Hey ebass...New Englander test:  does "I can walk like a penguin." or "It's fun to find out what your voice really sounds like." mean anything to you?  

[Chuckca]

BOHICA - remember this ALWAYS  

[jonsey/downunder]

Tell me Daddymem,
is that tag line from "Nuits de Reve" (nights of dreams)  by those fabulous Canadian boys Moxy Fruvous ...?
jonsey.
 

[Leo]

 The lobby groups in washington are unreal,The last Yatch We built in maine was for a communications lobby ,the customer didnt sail and was not  intrested in a maiden voyage??When the yard owner asked (then why did You just buy the most expensive 34 foot sailboat in history???)340 thousand 1988 dollars-------- his answer was "this boat is for our legislators to use." and last I heard it was ported in annapolis.  My Years repairing and building yatchs taught me the very wealthy are above the law for the most part. :'(

[glenn kangiser]

If only they weren't so brazen, huh, Chuck :-/  Seems like they love to do that to me.

The destruction of our rights is one of my pet peeves, Monica.  My great grandparents homesteaded in Oregon --seems I should be grandfathered in

We tell ourselves we have all this freedom and we are in the greatest place in the world, but many times it is only because we are not the ones crying as our home is demolished for a shopping center or dam or prison.  When the time comes that it is actually our own home, maybe reality will set in.  

Hopefully I'm not too far out of line on this.  Don't want to get my tit in the wringer, but hey, John - it does have the word "home" in the subject line.  Well - it started out that way - as it got too long I guess they can now take our hom  :-/

[Daddymem]

Tell me Daddymem,
is that tag line from "Nuits de Reve" (nights of dreams)  by those fabulous Canadian boys Moxy Fruvous ...?
jonsey.

WOW! Somebody else knows of them!

[Daddymem]

The power of the rich....I run into it all the time with work we do on Nantucket (a small island off the cape full of rich vacation homes).  Just yesterday I was at a site right on the ocean with a beautiful cottage that had been made sooo quaint with small additions over the years.  Well, that will be gone soon.  The new owners pad over $5 million for this property and they will be at best, moving part of the house aside to serve as a guest house to make room for their 5,000+ sf home designed by some mucky-muck Italian architects.  This is the mentality the rich have, they can do whatever they want, and there rarely is anyone that says they can't.  On the other hand, here is the perfect place to try eminent domain.  Take the house and turn it into an information building, build a parking area and provide public access to a beautiful secluded beach.  That is a draw to tourism which in turn is an economic improvement for the Town, no?

[jonsey/downunder]

WOW! Somebody else knows of them!

You bet Daddymem,
BOHICA, "I can walk like a penguin." or "It's fun to find out what your voice really sounds like." Sound like they could be song titles from those boys.
jonesy.
 

[mark brown]

The local officals are licking their chops here.  Target wants to put in a large distribution center and the government owns  land next to the interstate, a good site but not enough land, soo the local family farm is wanted.  The land owner wants to preserve his family land and farm.  We have lost a lot of jobs in this area over the last few years and everyone is taking up sides.  Target says 1ooo jobs.  it will be very interesting.

Mark

[vojacek]

glenn, my great- grandparents were native americans, the original homesteaders    i guess they weren't too far off on their land ownership theories.  

[Kevin]

I heard on the news last night that there is an effort in NH. to take one of the judges home for a hotel.  I dought it would happen but It was a nice idea.
Kevin

[glenn kangiser]

Check the second link in the first posting I made, Kevin.  The proposed motel.

It has been going on with the Native Americans since we got here, Monica.  Here's a story from Mariposa on how we "acquired" Yosemite National Park - The Mariposa War - complete with military and all.  This history happened at my doorstep.  I have many local native American friends.

http://www.militarymuseum.org/Mariposa1.html

[Daddymem]

You bet Daddymem,
BOHICA, "I can walk like a penguin." or "It's fun to find out what your voice really sounds like." Sound like they could be song titles from those boys.
jonesy.

Naw, those quotes don't have to do with Moxy...but anyone who lived in New England during the 80's would know the reference.  Interestingly enough, this fact was pointed out to me by an Aussie who was a friend of a friend of mine both of whom relocated to down under, possibly due to the influence of Vegamite.  

BTW...WTH R U Aussies doing with penguins?!

[ebass]

Daddymem:

Nope!...... Means nothin' to me!.........never heard of 'em at this end of the state........gonna do a websearch soon and see who they are and what they're about........

ebass

[Daddymem]

Hrmmm you live in the Happy Valley? Or maybe in the Beavah Fevah area?    

[Daddymem]

Yikes!
http://www.castlecoalition.org/report/pdf/ED_report.pdf

If you are an activist and interested:
http://www.castlecoalition.org/

I cannot say whether they are legit or not, but it appears they have some information to help get the ball rolling with your local government.