More Nasty Land Theft by a Local Gov't
Just when you thought that the Eminent Domain Land Theft by New London was the worst case, along comes Union Township, New Jersey with outright stealing the land from a developer.
They want to STEAL his land and develop the same townhouses that he was proposing, can it get any worse? The Supreme Court opened Pandora's box when they passed down that violation of the Fifth Amendment ruling. They have enabled local Gov'ts to become power hungry land thieves, and these Gov'ts are rubbing they hands together just waiting to steal people's property for the pseudo-public good (can you say increase in property taxes?). All states need to pass laws to rein in these greedy land barons, like Texas did, because you can't rely on the courts to protect the public's interest. It's going to get real nasty around the country as local Gov'ts start see dollar signs to be gained at private property owners expense.
Mr Minority
Union Township, N.J. -- Carol Segal has a problem: He wants to build townhouses on the six acres of land he owns in New Jersey's Union Township and has contracted with a developer to build 100 townhouses there.
But the township government wants to develop the property themselves, and - incredibly - they have voted to take his land through the eminent domain process and let a local developer with political connections do the job.
"They want to steal my land," Segal told the Newark Star-Ledger. "What right do they have when I intend to do the exact same thing they want to do with my property?"
According to the Star-Ledger, Segal, a 65-year-old retired electrical engineer, has spent about $1.5 million to acquire the property over the past 10 years and has been dickering with township officials over the past five years about his development plans. He claims negotiations fell apart after he refused to use the developers that township officials wanted him to use.
At that point, on May 24, the five-member township committee voted unanimously to authorize the municipality to seize Segal's land through eminent domain and name its own developer, AMJM Development, paving the way for the developer to build 90 or so townhouses on Segal's land, according to the Star Ledger.
They want to STEAL his land and develop the same townhouses that he was proposing, can it get any worse? The Supreme Court opened Pandora's box when they passed down that violation of the Fifth Amendment ruling. They have enabled local Gov'ts to become power hungry land thieves, and these Gov'ts are rubbing they hands together just waiting to steal people's property for the pseudo-public good (can you say increase in property taxes?). All states need to pass laws to rein in these greedy land barons, like Texas did, because you can't rely on the courts to protect the public's interest. It's going to get real nasty around the country as local Gov'ts start see dollar signs to be gained at private property owners expense.
Mr Minority
