Sunday, February 22, 2009

Eminent Domain, New Jersey Style !!

I'll give you the headline and the lede, then a quick synopsis:

2-town eminent domain dispute takes new twist

An eminent domain dispute that drew attention when one town attempted to use the controversial law to condemn and acquire property in a neighboring town has taken a new turn, with both towns now apparently joining forces.

That is perplexing news for Bridget Tapkas, who along with her siblings owns a warehouse behind Beyer Brothers, a truck sales and repair business the family has run for decades in Fairview.

Here's the storyline/timeline:

-Bridget Tapkas purchases warehouse in 2007 for $1.3 million. Puts in "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in repair/upkeep.
-Warehouse is leased to the town of Cliffside Park to store and maintain its public works vehicles.
-Cliffside Park gets tired of paying said lease, exercises eminent domain to obtain property and warehouse for itself. Offers $1.33 million for property as reimbursement.
-Township of Fairview objects, pointing out warehouse is actually in its boundaries.
-Cliffside Park pulls Fairview over for a little chat. Says if it joins it in the eminent domain fight, it will split the warehouse with them and thus cut Fairview's own leasing costs.
-Fairview joins with Cliffside Park in eminent domain claim against Ms. Tapkas's warehouse.
-Cliffside Park pushes offer to $1.7 million
-Based on Cliffside Park's current lease, the property would be worth more than $2 million

Used to be a time when the government's primary function used to be to protect individual property rights. Now one might say that relationship has...changed quite a bit over recent years, to wit, it has inverted itself.

It's more about subjects and rulers now, and the ruled are beginning to learn they truly own nothing. Both the money they earn and the land upon which they live are theirs only by temporary fiat, and imnmediately revokable at any time upon their ruler's whim...

No comments: