MUST READ: How New Eminent Domain Laws Are Being Used

We tend to react strongly to eminent domain abuses as they are taking one of the pillars of what makes the United States so great, property ownership, and attempting to destroy our reliance on it. An editorial in the Altanticville, a local Long Beach, New Jersey newspaper, illustrates how the process is being bastardized after the Supreme Court’s Kelo ruling.

The following is a scary and impassioned guest column from a person who is having his property being taken by the Long Beach government for a “Condo” development. The combination of a low appraisal, skirting the requirements of “fair and open” negotiations, and a legal system that the average person can not understand creates a terrifying scenario for the homeowner who only wants to keep their family home. 

Read the excerpt of the column from the Atlanticville, and follow it on to the full column, it puts the battle of eminent domain in terms we all can understand and appreciate.

On Thursday, Feb. 2, my family received the next step in the eminent domain taking from the city of Long Branch — a nice thick package of papers that to us only says, “We are stealing your land so get out now.”
For as long as I can remember during this ordeal, I have read in many different newspapers about condo offers in exchange for land, fair and open negotiations with the builder and the wonderful and fair treatment we have received from the city of Long Branch.
The only problem I have with all of this is that I don’t remember any of it happening.
My family has owned, for more than 50 years, two bungalow style homes with a very large adjacent lot on Ocean Terrace.
Last year, we received an appraisal from the city’s Hoboken-based appraiser. Our two ocean block houses and large adjacent lot were appraised at $451,000. When I received the appraisal I went through many emotions beginning with laughter over the ridiculously low amount of the appraisal, to total anger in thinking that the city of Long Branch could “steal” this oceanfront land without any just or realistic compensation. It should be noted that not a single piece of property or house used in the appraisal was an ocean block property.

Now read the rest on how a Victim of eminent domain abuse speaks out.

Related posts:
  1. A Great Read For Real Estate Professional Getting Ready For 2009
  2. Zoning Laws Run Amok – Home Bible Study Banned Without Permit in San Diego
  3. A Classic Home Sale Mess – Read It To Believe it
  4. Kansas City Real Estate Legend Allen Block, 93, Passes On – RIP
  5. Top 10 Largest Landowners in United States

There Is 1 Response So Far. »

  1. [...] Blog Name: The Real Estate Bloggers Article Title: MUST READ: How New Eminent Domain Laws Are Being Used We tend to react strongly to eminent domain abuses as they are taking one of the pillars of what makes the United States so great, property ownership, and attempting to destroy our reliance on it. An editorial in the Altanticville, a local Long Beac… [...]

Post a Response

« Back to text comment
  • Popular

    Most Comments

    Search

    Tags

    Archives

  • Recent Comments

    • My mom told me to put the statue in the ground, just seems wrong to me but I did it. ...
      Kara | 7Nov09 | More
    • What about RE/MAX Commercial? Where this classification came from? I am pretty sure RE/MAX Commercial in volume sales must be above ...
      JM Padron, CCIM | 7Nov09 | More
    • Well Tom, once again you have said it much better than I could have. Unfortunately the folks at Move, ...
      Joe Spake | 7Nov09 | More
    • It certainly does not bode well for a fast recovery in the economic climate. This will affect all real estate ...
      Antony Lexington@Home loan | 7Nov09 | More
    • I HAVE 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS..HOW DO I APPLY AT KAI.
      ROBIN SPURLIN | 6Nov09 | More
    • Definitely not a fan of Move Inc.!!!
      Tony Sena | 6Nov09 | More
    • A lot of you really need to go back to kindergarten and learn to spell correctly. If you cannot spell ...
      SpazzyCat | 6Nov09 | More
    • In 2008, there was an extension to push first-time home buyers to purchase their homes quickly since the program did ...
      Mary | 6Nov09 | More
    • I also need HELP and don't know what to do about my problem. I have a garden apartment off ...
      Cheryl Gungor | 6Nov09 | More
    • I have the same situation. I sold my home in July and am scheduled to to close in a few ...
      Arlo Moehlenoah | 6Nov09 | More
  • Statistics

  • Friends

  • Recent Friends Visiting

  • Subscribe





    Get Updates Delivered Daily By E-Mail:

    Delivered by FeedBurner