Thought Kelo was Bad?

[Rich Lucibella]

How 'bout the City of New London now charging the affected landowners 5 Years Back Rent claiming that they have been living on "city property" while the court battle was in progress!

http://fairfieldweekly.com/gbase/New...oid=oid:119000

In some cases, their debt could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Moreover, the homeowners are being offered buyouts based on the market rate as it was in 2000.

[snip]

Any money made from tenants (some residents' only form of income) would also have to be paid to the city.

[snip]

An NLDC estimate assessed Dery for $6,100 per month since the takeover, a debt of more than $300K. One of his neighbors, case namesake Susette Kelo, who owns a single-family house with her husband, learned she would owe in the ballpark of 57 grand. "I'd leave here broke," says Kelo. "I wouldn't have a home or any money to get one. I could probably get a large-size refrigerator box and live under the bridge."

[26point2]

Unbelievable...so much for the American Dream..

Will they at least get their money back for the title search?? I know I had to pay ~$500 just to have someone make sure no one else owned my land..

[buzz_knox]

I can't wait to see what spin the apologists put on this one.

[garrettwc]

Title search wouldn't have helped here 26point2.

This is the imminent domain case the SCOTUS just ruled on. This property belonged to the people outright. City tried to seize their land claiming imminent domain. Only instead of the required public use (highways, etc.) it was to build a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart or something.

City claimed that public use requirement was met because the increased tax revenue would benefit the public and SCOTUS agreed.

Now the city is trying to go back and charge people back rent and taxes on their own homes that the city stole from them.

[26point2]

I know...it was my attempt at humor..

[johnbt]

"they have been living on "city property""

Time for a trip to the courthouse. Has the property been in the city's name the entire time? No? Then I don't believe they'll get away with it.

John

[Rich Lucibella]

johnbt-
Don't be so sure. If I understand the case correctly, SCOTUS didn't tell New London that it was OK to "proceed" with the land grab; they ruled that the seizure, effected in '00 or '01, was legal.

It seems to me that, had New London deposited the funds in escrow at that time, they can certainly make this case. Just one more reason why "legal" isn't always synonymous with "moral".
Rich

[dolanp]

If I were one of those pour souls that might be just enough to push me out of that awkward phase...

[Mr. James]

Heads on pikes.

In this increasingly lawless "republic," it appears that Mencken's adage is on the mark - time to spit on our hands, hoist the black flag and begin to slit throats.

[buzz_knox]

In this increasingly lawless "republic," it appears that Mencken's adage is on the mark - time to spit on our hands, hoist the black flag and begin to slit throats.

I tend to refrain from such public commentary. But I find myself wondering what recourse these people have except to stand and fight for what is theirs.

[Waitone]

The arrogance is breathtaking. Every American understands the principal of a rich guy bribing a goverment weenie to use the law to take some poor slub's house trailer to the rich guy can make even more money.

Now let's add to it taxes levied while the poor guy is fighting the courts to keep the rich guy and government weenie from taking property which didn't belong to them in any case.

Keep it up guys!

[buzz_knox]

One of the indictments of the Chinese "legal" system was that not only would they execute you without much due process (let alone good cause), they would bill your family for the cost of the bullet.

Really, this isn't different.

As a public policy matter, this is a nightmare. People will no longer be able to afford to contest such actions as the gov't will be able to penalize defeat.

I'm still waiting on the apologists to explain why this isn't any big deal. After all, "it's not really going to happen." Isn't that what you all said about Kelo?

[Antipitas]

This was posted yesterday (08-15-05) at The Volokh Conspiracy blog:

[Todd Zywicki, August 15, 2005 at 10:23am] 1 Trackbacks / Possibly More Trackbacks
Backlash Against the Kelo Backlash?

Tom Blumer at Bizzyblog has a look at the "backlash" against the "Kelo backlash" and decides that it doesn't hold water, discussing a column by one Michael Kennedy in the New London Day newspaper justifying Kelo:

Regardless, here’s one guy [the columnist, Michael Kennedy] who thinks Kelo was a good ruling. I don’t agree. If the Kelo Seven are being selfish, shortsighted, obtuse, etc., it’s their right. They earned that right when they took ownership of their property. So-called larger societal goals beyond those that truly benefit the common good (roads, bridges, etc.) don’t enter into the equation. Sorry, Mr. Kennedy.

Well said.

Also, Tom has a number of good links on this post that follows some of the fall-out from the case, including this one on the "fair market value" to be received by the displaced homeowners.

If this is something on which Tom and I can actually agree, then this is definitely more evidence of the widespread nature of the anti-Kelo backlash that I described last week.

Follow the first embedded link to Bizzyblog. (yeah, I should have posted this yesterday, but I didn't think....)

[ebd10]

Anyone remember Carl Drega? How much do you want to bet we see a repeat?

[Eghad]

These guys already lost thier homes and now the city wants to rob em..........

[Dead]

I think taking ALL of New London's governments peon's homes showing that it would improve the amount of state tax or something would be a great move. Either that or I will start flying the USSR flag rather soon, oh and my red neck tie.

Things like this really make me wonder if I live in America, land of the free, and home of the brave.... Or in the land of Fear the government of they will take your home, and your money...

buzz_knox,

I see it different in many ways, alteast getting shot is quick, and cost of a bullet isnt that much, this something that will stay with them for MANY MANY years, and how many bullets could you buy with 300k??? Oh not to mention that China is a COMMUNIST country while we are supposed to live in America....

[blackmind]

And people would say they were wrong if these abused citizens went and killed the people who are doing this to them...


Me, I'd be cheering.


This can go on only so long before what has to happen does happen.


-blackmind

[Rich Lucibella]

I'd think they were wrong to punish thieves with murder.
YMMV.
Rich

[Wynterbourne]

I tend to believe myself an honorable, honest, law-abiding man these days. But to speak the Goddess's honest truth, I think my house might've burnt to the ground before the 'transfer paperwork' was completed.

[blackmind]

This amounts more toward an intolerable abuse of the citizenry by those in power, whose eyes avert any semblance of rightness and justice. How such decisions can come down from any government that is not wholly corrupt is a mystery.

So no, I am not saying I would cheer theft punished by murder; because this goes FAR beyond theft. This is the destruction of people's lives. Maliciously. Avariciously. Perniciously.

And I feel that it warrants very very severe reaction, or it will get worse each time it is perpetrated.

-blackmind

[Rich Lucibella]

So no, I am not saying I would cheer theft punished by murder

Agreed.
Think Twice, Post Once.

Rich

[scud]

Amazing that there are still those who have trust in our legal system. What a shame.

[garrettwc]

I know...it was my attempt at humor..

Sorry about that 26point2, didn't catch the tongue in cheek intent.

[Cactus]

Un-freaking-believable! Would it surprise anyone if one of these people flipped and did something violent?

But to speak the Goddess's honest truth, I think my house might've burnt to the ground before the 'transfer paperwork' was completed.

That wouldn't do any good! They plan on razing the houses anyway to make room for new development. Besides, from the sounds of the bast*rds that run that city, they would probably be charged with arson.

[Capt Charlie]

This smacks of "resist us and we'll show you!". And some wonder why I don't blindly enforce every law I come across.