Georgia carpenter 'stripped of his dignity' by cruel officials who demolished his house without any warning

Daily Mail ^

[algore]

A skilled carpenter's Georgia home was unexpectedly demolished without any notice or compensation from the county.

Eric Arnold, from New Jersey, decided to pack up and move to Georgia to live where his mother grew up. He took on multiple home renovation projects, including the property in Macon-Bibb County.

He bought the house in 2022 for $15,000 and started improving it to make it a future home for his children and grandchildren.

But his plans were shattered when a neighbor called Arnold to ask about a dumpster that had been place on his property.

After two months of confusion and mixed signals from country officials, Arnold's home was demolished on November 15, 2023.

He filed a lawsuit against the county, alleging that his home's destruction was unconstitutional.

He told the Institute for Justice: 'When you knock something down like that and destroy families, he just destroyed my whole generation. Now I have nothing.

When I pulled up and saw the house demolished, I was devastated. My heart started racing, I was tearing up, I started sweating.'

Macon-Bibb county has a blight problem, but instead of working with community residents toward a solution or communicating their plans, they simply resort to knocking down houses.

Blighted properties are those seen as a disruption to the surrounding area, according to the Center for Community Progress.

Arnold argued that he was in the process of fixing the home. He had completely transformed it from its original state.

[DiogenesLamp]

It is a State case, not a Federal case.

Did you forget about the incorporation doctrine?

"...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[unread]

"Nope. Blighted properties are seen as a way to develop special taxing districts that are passed out like favors to the friends of local politicians."

When I was a kid (50's and 60's) my Grandmother had a four story apartment building in the Mt. Adams area of Cincinnati. It had a amazingly wonderful view overlooking the downtown area. Her building was old, but solid and in good condition.

There were many such buildings just like hers on Baum, Oregon and other streets on Mt Adams. The city came in and started finding all sorts of reasons to condemn the old buildings, and then the developers moved in..

I have no idea how much one of those new apartments on Mt Adams would cost nowadays. Probably two grand a month, or more.

I don't think you could pay to live in that town again. :(