Posted on Sep 23, 2008 in News & Events
In a NY Sun article yesterday, NY State Senator Bill Perkins, Democrat from Harlem, is said to be calling for a moratorium on eminent domain and a possible push for greater restrictions on the use of eminent domain. “I don’t know of too many other issues where you have such diverse and pervasive outrage,” Perkins said in a recent interview.
Read MorePosted on Sep 18, 2008 in News & Events
Professor Gideon Kanner has begun a blog series discussing some well-known eminent domain cases, including Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff, Kelo v. New London, Poletown Neighborhood Council v. City of Detroit. Visit Gideon’s Trumpet here, here, here and here for a look back at some of these infamous cases.
Read MorePosted on Aug 21, 2008 in News & Events
DETROIT, MI — The Detroit News published a story recently regarding a Michigan Court of Appeals decision in favor of a private landowner. The appellate decision upheld in part a lower court ruling that the Detroit International Bridge Company did not have the right to condemn private property for access improvements. The three-judge panel ruled that MDOT did not intend to transfer its power of eminent domain to the private company via its agreement with the bridge company. Both courts ruled that only the government may utilize condemnation.
Read MorePosted on Aug 8, 2008 in News & Events
TRENTON, NJ (August 7, 2008) — A three judge panel of the New Jersey Appellate Division entered an opinion in favor of Long Branch homeowners reversing a previous decision in the Superior Court and remanding the matter back to the lower court for rehearing.
Read MorePosted on Aug 4, 2008 in News & Events
Since 2000, Nashville’s Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency has unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate the purchase of property owned by Joy Ford at 23 Music Circle East, Nashville. Because Ford has refused to sell to MDHA, the Authority has indicated that it will use eminent domain to seize her property. However, Ford has gained a new ally in the National Federation of Independent Businesses. NFIB announced last week that it will defend Ford “every step of the way” against MDHA.
Read MorePosted on Jul 31, 2008 in News & Events
Tulsa World staff writer P.J. Lassek writes today about Mayor Kathy Taylor’s proposed $60 million baseball stadium and mixed use project for the historic Greenwood District. Although the city, as the Tulsa Development Authority, already owns the land where the stadium would be built, it does not own the surrounding real estate, which would be desirable if a larger mixed-use facility was designed for the site. Mr. Lassek writes in his article that backers of Mayor Taylor’s project have indicated that it is “vital to have the larger footprint to create a successful project and spur further economic development.”
Read MorePosted on Jul 29, 2008 in News & Events
JACKSONVILLE, FL, Jul 29, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) — After almost two years in litigation, the Board of the Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) has decided to abandon the eminent domain taking of Keystone Coal Company’s 70-acre property on the St. Johns River.
Read MorePosted on Jul 29, 2008 in News & Events
A St. Louis jury recently awarded property owner Bill Simon of Alton, Illinois, $2,871,200 for the 2 acres of land he owned just north of the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis. Simon purchased the property in 1999 for $523,000 as an investment. Attorney Paul Henry explained “He bought it because the area had potential.”
Read MorePosted on Jul 28, 2008 in News & Events
With this our first blog post, we would like to explain our goals as an organization and what we intend to discuss in this blog. Owners’ Counsel of America (OCA) is an organization which has sought to bring together the most experienced eminent domain attorneys in the country as a resource to each other in the defense of private property ownership. OCA members stand at the forefront of property rights issues, defending our constitutional guarantee to own and enjoy real property.
Read More