Here's a real american tragedy, Imminent domain being used by the government to take land from an individual, and give it to a developer. The excuse is that what the developer will build will bring in more tax money. Don't read these if you're not ready to become very angry. http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200606/NAT20060607c.html http://www.latimes.com/news/nationw...un07,1,5595068.story?coll=la-headlines-nation This is bigger than your gay marriage, illegal immigration, net neutrality, employee union, tax the rich, social security in trouble, fair tax issue can ever be. Thanks to the last supreme court ruling, a developer can come along, look at your property & decide "i could build a condo/mini mall/warehouse and make a killing, but I don't want to buy the land from these homeowners." Then goto the local government, have them condemn the property and take it from you and the only legal reason they need now is "it will bring in more tax money."
damn... thats really messed up... i knew the government could take away your property if they needed to build a freeway or something but thats rediculous will need to read the details when i get home
That is scary, but after reading the article, didn't the group in question fail to pay their taxes? If so, that's not unfair at all (in this case only!). You can't live on a plot of land and not pay taxes on it. The county government can absolutely claim your land if you don't pay taxes on it. ...or am I not reading this article correctly at all? From my limited understanding, that's an excellent way for those of us that are able to make extra money - at tax certificate auctions With regards to imminent domain though, that is definitely scary. I'd imagine though it would only really affect those holdouts of land in an area where new developments were arising (i.e. someone owns a small house in the old steel mill area, now Atlantic Station) and didn't want to sell. ...or am I a moron on this one?
The Castle Coalition has a fair amount of information on eminent domain abuse. It's getting to be pretty rampant, though one really needs to look at both sides to get the real picture. Wal-Mart is a chief offender in this, but other businesses/developers have partaken in similar abuse cases... You know, that really shows the illusion of property ownership. You 'buy' the property and you still end up paying 'rent' to Uncle Sam for it or they'll take it away.
actually, they used this as a form of harassment of the displaced people. meaning the people who already left.
i'm sure there's an native tribesman reading that report getting quite the hard-earned chuckle right now. i was listening to these laws coming about on NPR about 2-3 months ago. It is a complex issue, but yes-it further lays open the illusion of land ownership. taxing utilities, streetlights, all that shit makes sense. but the only people that you should owe money too with regards to land are the lenders who paid the upfront cost (if, you financed, which you and they are paying taxes on). i love walmart. they go in and thrash the FUCK out of an area to build one of their big box bargain bins... and the second something nearby looks like a more profitable area, off they go. i've seen this happen in two areas that have devolved into complete shitholes, one in lawrenceville and one in duluth. its suburban entropy at it's best. i understand that businesses have a perogative to go where they think the money will be, but the effects of their actions on the surrounding values should also be taken to task. the only reason i go to those hee-haws is because they've got cheap ammo from national brands. everything else i've bought from them broke or malfunctioned in short order.
Yeah but they DO maintain physical services such as water and electrical conduits to the area, send out police officers when you beat your wife and kick your kids, maintain (I know...I know...) roadways, road signs, etc. Its still probably not an equal trade off for most, but its not like you get nothing for your "rent" money...
okay, but you pay for utilities (water, elec, etc) so what are we paying taxes on everything else (including our income, and any profits we make from said income... not to mention the interest they accrued from our tax money before they pay back overpayments) for? i'm sorry, but it smells like pork to me.
Yeah when I first moved down here I lived on sweetwater road right near that one and slowly saw the area just go down the tubes....It's sad now whenever I'm in that area to see that old plaza.....:wtc:
Those in favor of eminent domain should watch out. Paybacks a bitch. I laughed my ass off when I heard about this. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8406056/