Emminent Domain anyone know?

Question

Here in my city, Chelsea, MA, the town is "taking" pieces of land and refurbishing them to make apartments and stores. However, this is not the politicians land and THEY make all the money from this. We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars going to the wrong people.
They are spending tons of the city's money to make it happen.
The city executives see it as profit potential, but it is public land.

Has this happened to anyone else's towns?

Is emminent domain just a scam to grease the pockets of ones in power?

Answer 1

Eminent domain is a law and public policy that says that a government can buy property from a private citizen or company at a fair market price, even if the owner doesn't want to sell, if the property will be used in a way that benefits the society or population. The usual example is buying farmland to put a highway through. However, in recent years there have been cases where cities have bought the land, then resold it to private companies who build businesses on the land. Here in Michigan, there is an initiative on the ballot coming up to limit this power, and to require governments to pay 125% of the market value if they will force the owner to sell.

Answer 2

They can take any land that they deem undesirable. There is a ton of information about this, especially about a recent case in New Haven.

What can you do? Well, it takes a lot, but you can vote. And get others to vote. And if your locality has a bunch of bonds for the people to vote for- say no to all of them. It will just raise your taxes and you will be paying for something you probably won't ever use. It will also give the green light to the imminent domain crowd. Even if you want to support something that comes up as a bond, don't do it through taxes. Let the bond fail and then raise some money on your own to donate to the cause.

Answer 3

This is becoming very wide spread and the Supreme court has upheld a City or States right to do it, no one within the city government gets rich from it , unless they are taking bribes from developers, most will get the pay off after they leave office, - The justification is making better use of the Land to generate more property tax revenue.

Answer 4

many of the different solutions are fairly sturdy, even with the undeniable fact that it rather is mandatory be conscious that eminent area is greater suitable than purely a "regulation", it rather is derived from the 5th modification of the form. that's by no ability going away, absent an modification. each and every of the government has to do is supply one with actual looking reimbursement for the land. The exciting debate, even with the undeniable fact that, concerns the recent suitable courtroom determination, Kelo v. New London. It became constantly regular that the government might desire to take land (and pay reimbursement) if that land became going in direction of a public use. even with the undeniable fact that, Kelo prolonged the definition of "public use" to contain any use which will earnings the wide-unfold public as an entire, which contain any financial use. subsequently, land might desire to be taken and then given to a private developer, see you later as that inner maximum developer became to enhance a land in one in all those way that benefitted the financial device. constantly keep in mind that as quickly as you vote for the President, that person is purely around for 4 years (8 tops), yet any Justice they hire to the courtroom is there for existence.

Answer 5

No, it is not a scam. It is a tool used by the group in power to get their way over those not in power.

Answer 6

Only blue states! They gotta have those taxes...

Answer 7

its a law that says they can do what they want when its for the good of everyone