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You scream "her property" like this is the old West, or like that movie "Far and Away".

I can't believe you just said this. This is the most moronic quote I've heard all week.

Yeah, I said it. And I'll damned well say it again. If my home is worth $400,000 and the town says they have decided through a democratic process that I have to move, but that they are offering me $700,000 for my home, I would take the money, or even try to get a bit more through negotiations with an attorney. Then I could buy a new home (at cheap rates) a few blocks away, have $300,000 or more in the bank, and smile smile smile.

Like I said, the average American lives in their home for an average of 7 years. SEVEN YEARS! I have owned my last 3 cars for longer than that. Homes are nothing but a commodity. Let's not romanticize it into more than it is. That is why I mentioned "Far and Away". Eminent domain is never pretty but it has been done for over 200 years, with road, railroads, highways, malls, you name it. This woman was offered $700k for a $400k house. She is stupid to turn that down, imho.

If my home is worth $400,000 and the town says they have decided through a democratic process that I have to move, but that they are offering me $700,000 for my home, I would take the money, or even try to get a bit more through negotiations with an attorney.

It takes a village, eh? I thought you belonged on DU... you've confirmed it.

I'll say it again... money is worthless unless it buys property. How much property it buys determines its worth (hence, inflation). If the property you buy can be revoked by your fellow citizens, then you never really owned it and money is truly worthless.

It doesn't matter if you were given 2X or 10X the value of the property in currency, if you allow the government to take your property without due process, currency is meaningless.

the town says they have decided through a democratic process that I have to move

In a system based on laws your rights are protected. In a system based on the people having a right to say if you can stay on your property or not, you have communism. And the people who are not harmed by your use of property who try convince you that it is "democracy" to remove you from your property are communists.

I would take the $700k as well.

But this has zero relevance to the issues of private property rights raised in this thread. Same with your comments about the 7-year average for home ownership.

Homes are nothing but a commodity. Let's not romanticize it into more than it is.

For many people, a home is much more than a commodity. Some people have a deep attachment to their homes and land, which may have been in their family for generations, built up and beautified with their own ancestor's blood and sweat. I doubt they are faking their sentimentality just to piss you off.

But this too, is irrelevant to the issue of private property rights.