My story on Eminent Domain

Eminent Domain is Constitutional and very needed for our country.  My family and friends have had experience with Eminent Domain many times and I want to share the highlights of them

In most cases you can negotiate a great deal, 10 times the property value is not uncommon.  It is just essential to negotiate.

My Eminent Domain Experiences

1.  Phone Company – needed a spot about the size of my living room to put a phone box.  Negotiated price for tiny spot… about $70K
2. Government needed a strip of highway frontage from my family twice.
   1. Road widened  – small strip measured in feet
   2. Turn lane  addition to road – another small strip
   3. Negotiated price around $200K far above fair market value
3. Neighbor negotiated for interstate.  Was much harder but the battle was won above market value.
4. Close family friend negotiated with a LARGE corporation and sold small older home for $1 million.  They retained the right to live in the house for the remainder of their lives while still enjoying the money.

Countless stories from happy property sellers are reported far and wide.  The only ones that make the news are the few who feel they got a bad deal.

I welcome more Eminent Domain deals.  I can do these deals all day!

This debate should not be a part of a Presidential discussion.  It is LEGAL and NECESSARY.

Vera Coking Home still stands in Atlantic City

Regarding Vera Coking:  The house still stands and Ms Coking made a bad deal loosing MILLIONS of dollars.

There are a few eyesores around our town that SHOULD be Eminent Domain-ed I would argue.  These abandoned buildings make our town look bad.  Countless companies and various Government agencies have tried to purchase them and the owners refused.  The owners claim emotional attachment.

One such property, the city had to build a park around the dilapidated building.  😦

I say leave this subject alone for a Presidential election.  Let the courts decide on a case by case basis.  Not a subject that determines the qualifications for President of the United States.