How's this for a surprise: City seized his lot and sold it (Eminent Domain in New Jersey)

http://www.nj.com/ ^ | 7/11/05 | STEVE CHAMBERS

[tx_eggman]

It frosts me to see some two-bit politician or govt. worker have the right to take someone's property.

How long do you figure it's going to be before they'll have to start taking "private property" by force ... won't that be a lovely day.

[neutrino]

From the article: ""Eminent domain is something we do not take lightly," Rendeiro said. "This is not the Kelo case, where New London is taking a home people are living in. Our goal was to get these properties back into productive use."

Don't take it likely? They are a mass of liars. It's really too bad we can't put Saddam in charge of punishment for vermin like Rendeiro, Alston, and the others involved in this travesty.

[Uncle Vlad]

And what do you bet there was a big kickback to some politician from the so-called "developer?"

[jim_trent]

Unfortunately, I can't read the whole thing without registering with them. However, there is not enough information posted to tell what happened here. In the cases I am familiar with, the City buys the land at the price an independent appraiser sets (check the yellow-pages to see how many of them there are where you live). Then they tear down any buildings in the "redevelopment", haul out any contaminated material (almost all older buildings have asbestos in some form), they remove the old utilities, remove the old streets, put in new utilities that fit the new use, and put in new streets that fit the new use. Then they sell it to the developer at the cost to them. That way, the taxpayers don't end up paying the costs that a developer should pay.

I won't get into whether or not this is an "acceptable" emminent domain issue. The thing is that the $14,000 cost and the $60,000 cost are almost certainly for two very different pieces of land.

[Natural Law]

I'm certain the value was well in excess of the $60K that Wayne Alston paid the city for it. Wayne Alston is a corrupt politician who no doubt rigged the contract.

[datura]

"How long do you figure it's going to be before they'll have to start taking "private property" by force ... won't that be a lovely day."

Welcome to Tacoma. Here, if they want to develop your property, the police show up with some drugs, a warrant, a dog, and you're outta there. If they really want you gone, they bring some firearms parts along as well - to get the firearms enhancement of one year per person at the residence. At trial, the judge gives verbal orders to the jury that make it impossible to find you innocent.

WELCOME TO THE RAILROAD.

[Coleus]

Summer Street. >>>

know the area?

[Ronaldus Magnus Reagan]

I see notices in my local newspaper every week. I know local governments have to publish these notices to do sheriff's auctions. I wonder if it's the same case here?

I doubt it. What you're seeing in the paper is property seized because of court judgements. I have first hand experience in landlord-tenant court judgements because of deadbeat tenants who skipped out on the back rent. In a few rare cases, they will leave behind a number of things of good value, whereby you have to get the constable to seize the goods and hold an auction and the landlord gets the proceeds after paying expenses for storage and auction. Not any kind of windfall for the landlord, but I do *finally* get the apartment back so I can re-rent it.

[Coleus]

July 1, 2005
N.J. must strengthen eminent-domain l
Public use means different things to different people. That is one reason the U.S. Supreme Court's recent 5-4 decision giving local officials broad latitude to seize private property for "public use" is so frightening. The majority rule ...

June 7, 2005
Letters to the editor
Pascrell is advocate for area residents

May 21, 2005
Landowner feels cheated
PASSAIC - The city is offering a resident $14,730 for the vacant lot it seized from him, even though it sold the lot to a developer for more than four times that - $60,000.

May 14, 2005
'He wants what's fair'
Since inheriting his aunt's Summer Street property in 1986, Charles Shennett said he faithfully paid the taxes on it - even after the duplex that sat on the land burned down in an electrical fire shortly after he acquired it.

[mercy]

Yeah but what you're missing is that the city pays the owner a pittance and then makes a fat profit on the developer. The lot owner should at least be able to sell directly to the developer. This is carpet bagging graft and corruption. Plain and simple.

[Coleus]

 

July 6, 2005
Want a 30% & 52% pay raise? Become a politician

July 6, 2005
Council pats its back and pads wallet

July 2, 2005
Passaic mayor is sworn to 2nd term

July 1, 2005
Passaic Council, mayor get big raises
PASSAIC - At a sparsely attended 8 a.m. special meeting Thursday, the City Council voted 5-0 to give Mayor Samuel Rivera a 30 percent salary increase to at least $107,000, excluding expenses and benefits.

July 1, 2005
Passaic creating 2 new departments
PASSAIC - The City Council agreed Thursday to retool the way City Hall functions by creating the Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement and the Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs

[Coleus]

They also like to use the swat team against little old ladies and violating her 4th amendment rights, pictures on post #67

 

Standoff in Passaic NJ: Home stormed by SWAT team over code violations (porch and windows)

 

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Just think kiddies, this may be just the beginning of government oppression. The Sullan seizures and proscriptions will soon begin.

[ml/nj]

He just wants his land back.

I just read this story in the paper, and came here to see if it had been posted.

What an outrage!

I suggest that a minimum of five "public servants" associated with this case spend five or more years in the slammer, and their $20,000+ fines can be used to compensate the victim. (No need for taxpayers to pony up the dough.) We can let (screwee) Shennett choose the five.

ML/NJ

[Mark]

Here's a good beginning for eminant domain- Wal-Marts everywhere in the blue areas.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Right on! Let's take some homes in some very liberal rich residential areas. I mean, WM will provide a lot more jobs than some rich guy's second home. Wouldn't that be for the public good?

IMHO, some of the rich liberal areas are blighted....morally.

[motzman]

Yep. In 1999-2000 I lived on Summer St.

The worst. The only languages spoken there were Spanish, Arabic, Jive, and Deranged Lunatic Staggering in the Street.

The worst.

[azhenfud]

Notification process = two publications in newspaper spanning minimum ten days between publish dates.

No response? Notification still met. Wrong, but that's the eminent domain beast we're dealing with now.