EMINENT DOMAIN
The Kelo decision by the Supreme Court has brought about a lot of controversy and recognition of the problem of eminent domain abuse. For those of you visiting, eminent domain abuse is where the government steals your property, and then pays you whatever it decides and gives it to a private developer. However emenent domain is intended to allow the goverment the ablility to buy land and do something like building a highway.
So now the states have stepped in. Politicians from both sides are passing laws to stop the abuse. Alabama, Delaware and Texas have all passed bills limiting the ability of local governments to abuse eminent domain. At least 38 other states are looking in to the same course. Revenue-hungry local politicians are being castrated in their ability to load up the pockets of private developers.
So this is some good news. The way for a private developer to assemble his land is to buy people out, at a price they're willing to accept, not a take this or we will condem your house deal. If they don't want to move, said private developer has to either sweeten the deal or buy elsewhere. That's how it's supposed to work.
Perhaps the new Supreme Court will revisit the matter and get that disastrous decision overturned.
So now the states have stepped in. Politicians from both sides are passing laws to stop the abuse. Alabama, Delaware and Texas have all passed bills limiting the ability of local governments to abuse eminent domain. At least 38 other states are looking in to the same course. Revenue-hungry local politicians are being castrated in their ability to load up the pockets of private developers.
So this is some good news. The way for a private developer to assemble his land is to buy people out, at a price they're willing to accept, not a take this or we will condem your house deal. If they don't want to move, said private developer has to either sweeten the deal or buy elsewhere. That's how it's supposed to work.
Perhaps the new Supreme Court will revisit the matter and get that disastrous decision overturned.