[GaryCrow]

I have a power line right of way that was put through some of my timberland about 15 years ago. I personally despise eminent domain but understand it's necessity. The utility first named a lowball price that most landowners around me were just saying OK to and taking. I did the math and it didn't come close to compensating me for the fact that I could never use that four acres to grow timber again, it sounded good in the short term but considering I would never make a dime of money from that land again it was a bad deal. I told them I wanted four times the amount they offered, they balked and I told them to take me to court and seize it via eminent domain. They reconsidered and after some negotiation settled upon a price three times what they'd originally offered, which I accepted.

I still don't consider that I made money on the deal, but at least I didn't lose money considering the lost income potential of the land. My point is that if eminent domain is being used to take someone's property then the landowner should demand generous compensation. At it's heart eminent domain is an unethical, although sometimes necessary, part of our legal system and it should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary. The property owner should always be made whole.

[Theoria]

eminent domain is certainly one of the flaws in our republic.

[MuttTheHoople]

When I worked in ROW, appraising was a crap shoot. Sometimes, they'd badly overvalue a house. Other times, they badly undersell.

I was in the clearance section. If we went to a house that was overvalued, the residents would welcome us in with open arms, offer us cookies and lemonade, and everybody was happy.

The undervalued ones? Had to look to see if they were holding a shotgun. :)