NationStates Jolt Archive

Imagine, if you will, a small township of 1,800ish residents. This township sits on just over 2.8 square miles, and is organized primarily into subdivisions and gated communities. Starting prices for a home are in the mid $500,000s and go right on up to over two and a half million. Median family incomes in the area approaches $150,000. The community has 20 golf courses within 5 miles of it's city limits and one course inside of it's city limits. That one golf course inside of the city limits is a highly prestigious private country club on privately held land. I've just described New Hills.

Sounds like a pretty nice place, eh? Well, apoparently these disadvantaged citizens need a little bit of help. Their local town council is investigating using eminent domain powers to sieze the private golf course within city limits and make it a public golf course open only to citizens of New Hills.

But wait, theres more:

If the village acquired Deepdale, said Mayor Marvin Natiss, it would be used exclusively by village residents. The town of Hempstead is already home to five municipal golf courses.

More info here: http://www.wnbc.com/news/7781736/detail.html
And here: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-ligolf084654352mar08,0,6012136.story

So they're planning on seizing a golf course and turning it into.... a golf course? I really didnt think thats what eminent domain was for.

I'm all for this plan. It's about time that the homeless and indigent get access to world-class golfing facilities.

So they're planning on seizing a golf course and turning it into.... a golf course? I really didnt think thats what eminent domain was for.

I'd say it wasn't until recently but that really is not true either. I live in a fairly affluent area that allowed a car dealer to take a bunch of small businesses and homes to increase his lot size only to turn around after it was complete and allow his lot to be taken to replace his brand name lot with a Mercedes dealer as the Mercedes dealer negotiated a higher tax rate in exchange for the property. Did my taxes go down? Ha! The appraised value of my house was raised 13% (thus the property tax) for the very same year.

My former house was one of the 110 houses that were taken by eminent domain for the purpose of building a damn race track for the Winston Cup. Did it increase the taxes as required to steal property for public good? No, they gave the Winston cup people a no tax clause for the next 20 years. Did I get fair value for my house? No, they used a Real estate agent (Mayor's Brother) to go around and appraise the value of the homes 40% lower than the same type housing in surrounding communities and gave the residence 120% of their declared value.
In other words if you had a 100,000 dollar home they appraised it at 60,000 and told you they were doing you a favor by giving you 80,000 for it even though the value of it is now well over 500,000 per acre.