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Eminent domain victim sends her worst wishes
Waterbury Republican-American ^ | December 21, 2006 | A.P.

Posted on 12/21/2006 8:42:35 AM PST by Graybeard58

NEW LONDON -- The woman at the center of a national battle over property rights has sent some not-so-joyous tidings to people involved in taking her house to make way for private development.

Susette Kelo's holiday cards feature a snowy image of her pink house and a message that reads, in part, "Your houses, your homes, your family, your friends. May they live in misery that never ends. I curse you all. May you rot in hell. To each of you I send this spell."

The cards were conceived and produced by a friend of Kelo's and sent to city officials and members of New London's development agency.

Kelo said she also considered sending the cards to five U.S. Supreme Court justices who ruled in June 2005 that New London had the right to take homes in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood to make way for a riverfront project slated to include condominiums, a hotel and office space.

On Wednesday, after news accounts carried details about the cards, Kelo apologized in a statement released by the Institute for Justice, which represented the homeowners in their legal battle.

"My card was meant as much in humor as it was in frustration," she said in the statement. "What I wrote shouldn't be taken as my literal wish for anyone. I'm heartbroken that this will be my last Christmas in Fort Trumbull and what I wrote rose out of that fact, but the bottom line is, it was over the top."

Kelo, one of the last holdouts, earlier this year accepted a $442,155 settlement, more than $300,000 above the appraised value of her home in 2000. Her pink cottage will be moved elsewhere in the city. She has until June 15 to move.

"It's amazing anyone could be so vindictive when they've made so much money," said Gail Schwenker-Mayer, a supporter of the development project who received one of the cards.

New London Development Corp. member Reid Burdick said he put the card on his mantel with his other Christmas greetings.

"I think the poor woman has gone around the bend," he said. "I haven't gotten any mail from her in years. I still feel bad for Susette. The sorry part of this is that the things she's angry about were not done to be mean-spirited toward her personally."

Fellow NLDC member George Milne, a former top executive at Pfizer Inc., called the card "immensely childish."

"It's sort of sad she elected to do this," Milne said. "We were trying to do things for the city. It was nothing personal."

Kelo, a nurse who handles lead paint and lead poisoning cases for the city of New London, said the card was her idea.

"This all could have been solved and ended many years ago," she said. "They didn't have to do what they did to us, and I will never forget. These people can think what they want of me. I will never, ever forget what they did."


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: eminentdomain
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To: Alouette
Appraised for real estate taxes or actual market value? Don't know about that part of the country but my market value has nearly doubled since 2000. The real issue is the government forcing her to sell her home, it is unconstitutional.
61 posted on 12/21/2006 9:03:26 AM PST by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: Alouette

While morally this situation was wrong, I have to say, if someone, government or otherwise, offered me 440 grand for a 140,000 house, I'd take the money and run.


62 posted on 12/21/2006 9:03:33 AM PST by RockinRight (Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. He's a Socialist. And unqualified.)
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To: Freedom4US

I know someone who could use a "Ultimate Revenge BLack Curse".


63 posted on 12/21/2006 9:04:07 AM PST by KC_Conspirator
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To: Fierce Allegiance

Good point, it is Connecticut isn't it?


64 posted on 12/21/2006 9:04:27 AM PST by RockinRight (Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. He's a Socialist. And unqualified.)
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To: Fierce Allegiance
It doesn't matter what amount of money she got! If it aint for sale, it aint for sale. The money doesn't mean anything.

This is one of the foundation blocks of our constitutional rights.
65 posted on 12/21/2006 9:05:45 AM PST by southernerwithanattitude ({new and improved redneck})
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To: Graybeard58

She shouldn't need to apologize. Let this happen to any one of these government officials before they lecture her on how she should feel.

And she *should* have sent them to the five justices but that would probably bring Secret Service attention.


66 posted on 12/21/2006 9:06:26 AM PST by Tall_Texan (NO McCain, Rudy, Romney, Hillary, Kerry, Obama or Gore in 2008!)
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To: ArrogantBustard; ko_kyi
I, on the other hand, would not. And I'd be right pissed if I was forced at gunpoint to accept their 'offer'.

About 18 months ago, 8,000 Jews were forced out of their homes in Gaza. Most of them lost not only their homes but their greenhouse industry, which was turned over to the Palestinians (who looted and destroyed the "gift").

These Jews are still destitute, living in trailer parks, never received the compensation they were promised, and (get this) STILL OWE MONEY ON THEIR HOUSES IN GAZA.

67 posted on 12/21/2006 9:06:39 AM PST by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 145-150)
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To: fatnotlazy
I don't ordinarily like eminent domain, but it seems that she did get a fair deal -- an amount well above the appraised value, plus the house is going to be picked up and moved. I'd feel differently if the developers and the city tried to low ball her, but maybe I just can't see what she's so bitter about.

Hypothetically, suppose your house is "appraised" at $144,000, but it would cost you 3 times that much to get a comparable house in a decent neighborhood. Then let's suppose a developer wants to develop the area, and the value of the land where your house sits after the development would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. You are offered a "fair" price of $445,000 which is three times the "appraised" value, but only a breakeven amount for you to replace the home, and less than a third of the true value of the property to the developer. You decide (as would be your right if private property rights mean anything) that the home is worth more than they are offering, and you refuse to sell. So the developer gets the government to come in and take your property for less than you are willing to sell it so that they can have it for their development.

It is always rather amusing when otherwise conservative people decide something is a "fair deal" for someone else's property. Private property is a fundamental right and principle of conservatism. For government to use eminent domain to take property from one private party in order to give or sell it to another private party is completely inexcusable.

68 posted on 12/21/2006 9:06:49 AM PST by VRWCmember
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To: Graybeard58
On Wednesday, after news accounts carried details about the cards, Kelo apologized in a statement released by the Institute for Justice, which represented the homeowners in their legal battle.

Never retreat and never apologize if you are right [unless the fight is with a wife or girlfriend, in which case immediately retreat and apologize :-) ].

Kelo, one of the last holdouts, earlier this year accepted a $442,155 settlement, more than $300,000 above the appraised value of her home in 2000.

Is the appraised value the fair market value, the replacement value, or some lowball number created by a government bureaucrat interested in running you off your land? I expect many more lowball figures after the monstrosity of the Kelo decision.

69 posted on 12/21/2006 9:07:11 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Baker's Iraq Surrender Group - warming up the last helicopter out of Baghdad.)
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To: ArrogantBustard

It's all in the choice. If I had a CHOICE and were offered way over value (which in this case I've found the "value" was way low from reality) I may well take it. I wouldn't want to be "forced" to take it though.


70 posted on 12/21/2006 9:07:27 AM PST by RockinRight (Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. He's a Socialist. And unqualified.)
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To: Graybeard58

If someone decided they were taking my home away for improvements I would be mad as hell. I don't think its fair and it shouldn't happen. I don't blame her for the cards. I hope they work. It isn't about the money either. You have memories and you love your house, money can't replace that. Unless you want to move the money isn't important. This is happening in Long Branch NJ too and I really feel bad for those people too.


71 posted on 12/21/2006 9:07:39 AM PST by pandoraou812 ( zero tolerance and dilligaf?)
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To: absolootezer0
Kelo, one of the last holdouts, earlier this year accepted a $442,155 settlement, more than $300,000 above the appraised value of her home in 2000. Her pink cottage will be moved elsewhere in the city. so she's making an obnoxious amount of profit to move her house, and she's still whining about the whole thing?

Well she fought them all the way to the Supreme Court, for which we should all be grateful, as it exposed the socialist, property hating majority on the court and the sad state our post-constitutional republic has fallen into.

We don't know the details, but in deals like this the initial appraised values (appraised by the same government that is taking it) are usually laughable.

Imagine this: How about you sell me your car that way? I come over, I appraise the value, I give you a check for that amount, I drive your car home. No input from you required! You can trust me! I'm a government employee. Of course I'm fair. (Actually I'm not, but you get the point).

72 posted on 12/21/2006 9:07:45 AM PST by Jack Black
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To: RightWhale
What is the nature of this private party? Is it a corporation?

Yes, it is a real estate development company.

73 posted on 12/21/2006 9:08:02 AM PST by VRWCmember
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To: Graybeard58
"It's amazing anyone could be so vindictive when they've made so much money," said Gail Schwenker-Mayer, a supporter of the development project who received one of the cards.

Some people's lives are about more than just money, that's why.

74 posted on 12/21/2006 9:08:55 AM PST by RonF
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To: Graybeard58
"Fellow NLDC member George Milne, a former top executive at Pfizer Inc., called the card "immensely childish."

"It's sort of sad she elected to do this," Milne said. "We were trying to do things for the city. It was nothing personal."


There was an Austrian guy in the 1930's that just wanted to make the trains and other things run efficiently in Germany.
75 posted on 12/21/2006 9:09:03 AM PST by HereInTheHeartland (Never bring a knife to a gun fight, or a Democrat to do serious work...)
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To: CFC__VRWC

She was a lot more peaceful than I would have been. The city would have to go Rachel Corrie on me.


76 posted on 12/21/2006 9:09:31 AM PST by steveyp
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To: KarlInOhio

I'd say if it were me, I'd get an independent appraisal done myself.


77 posted on 12/21/2006 9:09:40 AM PST by RockinRight (Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. He's a Socialist. And unqualified.)
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To: domenad

I've SEEN that movie...:)


78 posted on 12/21/2006 9:10:12 AM PST by rlmorel (Islamofacism: It is all fun and games until someone puts an eye out. Or chops off a head.)
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To: Alouette
That's why we have a 'Fifth Amendment', here in the USA. Many of our ancestors were forced off their land, without compensation, back in the 'old country'.

We are talking about the USA, here. It's supposed to be better, here.

79 posted on 12/21/2006 9:11:23 AM PST by ArrogantBustard (Western Civilisation is aborting, buggering, and contracepting itself out of existence.)
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To: VRWCmember

If it is a corporation then it is a public entity, an institution of the state. It is not private.


80 posted on 12/21/2006 9:11:37 AM PST by RightWhale (RTRA DLQS GSCW)
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