Name change
Obsolescence, a new name for eminent domain.
Imagine you come home from work one day to a notice on your front door that you have 45 days to demolish your house, or the city will do it for you. Oh, and you’re paying for it.
This is happening right now in Montgomery, Ala., and here is how it works: The city decides it doesn’t like your property for one reason or another, so it declares it a “public nuisance.” It mails you a notice that you have 45 days to demolish your property, at your expense, or the city will do it for you (and, of course, bill you).
Your tab with the city will constitute a lien on your property, and if you don’t pay it within 30 days (or pay your installments on time; if you owe over $10,000, you can work out a deal to pay back the city for destroying your home over a period of time, with interest), the city can sell your now-vacant land to the highest bidder.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
“What a revolting development!” – some cartoon character.
This will undoubtedly mess with the injured homeowners’ “credit ratings” (whatever they are) which Uncle might not mind so much.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Well, the government can do what it likes with its land.
People say I’m crazy when I say the government owns all land. I just point to shit like this and say “O RLY?”.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
@Diomed
Under continental law, the king owned all the land, and allowed people to use it. The US was considered an aberration because anyone could own land and have full rights over it. We have now come full circle.
August 30th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Sounds like the city manager / mayor / council opened hunting season on themselves…
They all deserve a dirt nap.
Friggin’ totalitarian statists all!
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants”
It sounds like the self important As$holes who foisted this upon the citizens of Montgomery need to relocate to North Korea, Cuba, or a nearby unmarked shallow grave in the North Alabama woods!
August 31st, 2010 at 8:52 am
A taking is a taking,
no matter the name.
Even if they don’t call it
eminent domain.
Forget John Galt, who is Carl Drega?