Posted on 09/20/2007 4:29:27 PM PDT by decimon
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. -- A Barrow County woman says an off-duty deputy handcuffed and had her strip-searched because of a simple dispute over a power line.
“My life has never been the same since. I’m having a very hard time with it,” said Sue Worley.
A farm in Hoschton in Barrow County has been home to 60-year-old Worley all her life.
Late last year, a letter from the Georgia Transmission Corporation told her a 230 Kilovolt power line was going to go through her property. When surveyors showed up, Worley said she went down the road to talk. She said she didn’t threaten anyone, but the Barrow County deputy working with the surveyors didn’t see it that way -- the deputy called for backup.
“I saw two sheriff’s cars drive up,” said Worley. She was handcuffed, arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
“I was in the car and I went all the way to the jail handcuffed,” she said. Worley was booked into the jail, patted down and strip searched.
“She sprayed me down with lice spray. It was so humiliating,” Worley said. “They made a criminal out of me.”
The charges were dropped, but Worley and her lawyer are suing the Georgia Transmission Company.
“It’s just pure, old-fashioned intimidation. They want people’s land and they don’t want to pay for it,” said Worley's lawyer, Don Evans. “They’re going to set their power poles wherever they want and if anybody gives them any lip, they’ll put you in jail.”
She and her lawyer said they’re suing, not just for her, but for other Georgians facing the threat of eminent domain and what they see as loss of property rights.
“I just don’t see how this could happen in a land of freedom, but we don’t have freedom anymore because people can just do anything they want to,” said Worley.
Project H.O.P.E. -- Homeowners Opposing Power Line Encroachment -- said Worley's case shows the need for the governor and legislature to draw stronger citizen-friendly laws to prevent what it calls, "preferential treatment," for power companies.
A spokesperson for the Georgia Transmission Corporation told Channel 2 they had hired a deputy because they'd had some subtle threats from other residents in the area.
Right now, it looks like the power line will go up either late next year or in early 2009.
Uh, she walks up to a crew or workmen, one being an off duty cop....and they call for backup? lol....
If I got a letter from some entity saying they were going to do whatever they pleased with my property, I'd be PO'd to.
I wish I lived in your fantasy world. I also wish you knew my neighbor. If you did, you would know how stupid your remarks were.
My “fantasy world” has paid well for nearly 40 years. If you want to hear stupid, you should hear some of the people with cornfields outside of town on the stand arguing for more money than a high-rise building goes for in the downtown area.
That might work in a large city like Chicago where every cop does not know every other, but in a small town or small county sheriff’s dept. where every LEO knows every other. You’re going to have the problem of you’ve got to cover your buddy’s butt.
It is simply a conflict of interest. A rent a cop is hired to provide security to an individual, a LEO’s job is to enforce the law.
If your property is in the path of a power line that has to be built, you may be in the same boat this lice free woman is in. You will be paid for your property, but you will not be able to stop the utility. The Constitution clearly provides for this, limiting the government form taking property, unless there is a clear public need. Believe it or not, we need a dependable supply of electricity.
About what I thought, you make money stealing from land owners. :0)
No, I make money by making the roads safer for people like you. Not that people like you appreciate it.
Guess she wants to be on the grid, just wants the power lines in someone else’s back yard.”
I guess you’d just give them the land free.
You don’t know me or what I appreciate. I dislike liars, thieves and other criminals. There are people and communities that will steal anything they can get their grubby little hands on. They will do anything to make a dollar. You are living in a fantasy world if you don’t know that.
You talk about people wanting more for property than you think it is worth. How do YOU determine what something is worth to someone else?. I was court ordered to sell the house I grew up in because of a divorce. I would never have sold it. It was NOT for sale. I jacked the price way up to where I was sure no one would buy it. It sold at that price and I was very disappointed about it.
Now that would be a silly guess.
Why would you jump to such a silly conclusion?
Yes, she should be paid for her land in exchange for the power line easement.
This is not a Kelo type of issue. I totally despise those voters in Kelo who elected the government that took the property to give to someone else. The Voters in that city are the scum of the earth.
No doubt we do. We also need good schools. Thus Eminent Domain being exercised on my neighbor, who is a 80+ year old woman and owner of Wissler Ranch, where she has lived her whole life. She was featured on Hannity as a victim of people who have the legal power to exercise the agenda you believe in.
Believe it or not, we need a dependable supply of electricity.
No doubt we do. We also need good city offices and repair shops in small towns. Thus Eminent Domain being exercised on my brother-in law's electrical shop business, who had his electrical business for decades, but became a victim of people who have the legal power to exercise the agenda you believe in.
Churches, which are tax exempt, are also falling prey to your agenda. After all, who can argue with the extra revenue a store or some other tax paying entity will bring in?
Kick 'em out.......they're freeloaders, they're too old to car, they're too small a business, OR we just don't like 'em KICK 'EM OUT!
Strange that you choose FR as a place to post your opinions...................personally, I think JR ought to exercise eminent domain on your slot, and KICK YOU OUT TOO.
Do be such a whining windbag. I am not talking about your neighbor's cousin or what ever you are babbling about.
You said you were going to state what my "agenda" is, and you have only proved yourself a liar for not keeping your word.
I'm not surprised.
You need to get a grip and realize that electrical power lines are vital, they have to be ran, and those whose property it crosses should be fairly compensated,
For someone who was so clever as he tap-danced around giving a easy 'yes' or 'no' to a direct question, you suddenly became mentally dense about interpreting what is obvious to even the most casual reader.
Your agenda is to give Big Government the power to destroy one of the most important of the three legs of individual freedom/capitalism, the right to own and control private property.
That may not be clear enough, so let me know?
By way of proof of that agenda you will need to excercise some mental horsepower, begin to educate youself about private property, the founding father opinion of the importance of same. You may be an unwitting participant.
You need to get a grip and realize that electrical power lines are vital
And schools aren't? Many will argue that schools are far more important than mere electrical power lines.
You need to get a grip and realize that electrical power lines are vital
So are city offices and repair shops. Try arguing otherwise with the bureaucrats. OH WAIT! It DOESN'T MATTER! They can just TAKE the property!
You need to get a grip and realize that electrical power lines are vital
And revenue isn't? Come on! How else will we have government officials who can exercise the precious eminent domain?
You sir, need to brush up a tad on the Constitution, specifically the Bill of rights. It limits the government in taking property, and requires a fair payment.
My agenda is to have a limited government, not no government. It is vital that power lines are ran.
You may be interested to learn that in cases where the government goes too far, and it is possible and most likely true, it does not follow that the government always goes too far.
Thinking that I am for big government is about as foolish as one can be, you should send your agenda theory packing. And calling for Jim to ban me is really pathetic.
ROFLMAO. Ms. Worley, granddaughter of Yogi Berra.
Am I the only one on this thread who thinks a nickel ain't worth a dime anymore?
LOL!!!!
BTW, my understanding is that this was not an eminent domain issue. I’m not sure what area of Mrs. Worley’s property is in question here, but it does not appear that a large swath of it was being condemned.
9/27/07 Campaign fireworks exploded at Monday night's Akron City Council meeting, the first since last Tuesday's primary, as council approved the first step in taking 20 properties in East Akron in a plan to entice Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to stay in Akron.
http://www.ohio.com/news/9844267.html
It is vital that power lines are ran
It is vital to Akron that Goodyear stay in Akron.
Do the private property owners in Akron have any property rights?
As one who has personally faced off with the nations government owned power producer TVA over a R.O.W. and Eminent Domain violation myself I would not be quick to judge her. They bought a 50' X 1200' ROW from me. They tried to take over 400' wide X 1200' long and some prime timber as well that did not need cut with it. Had I not stopped them they would have came withing 50 feet of my home with the clear cut. BTW I live on the side of a steep ridge. I told their contractors to leave my property until the issue was resolved. I was threatened by them saying they would bring a U.S. Marshall to take all they wanted. Guess who won?
A call to my congress critter was made as well as some others. This was on a Friday. On Monday a tree stump counter and a man with the checkbook came instead. They then had to go back and pay restitution to my neighbors they done this way as well. I was the only one who stood up to them. Had I not then early the next spring a major flood that hit us would have sent a wall of water down the ridge and taken my house out. If you haven't even seen it happen before you can't understand the danger then.
I understand people got to have power but I expect to be treated honest and fair though. Unfortunately power companies can be quite abusive on such matters. What happened with me was they changed tower configurations from a single pole to a two pole H set up AFTER they bought the ROW. But still even at that they were still cutting trees well beyond a necessary distance because the contractor was making money off timbering and selling the logs. These were White Oaks. They had to leave mine laying there even after they paid for them. I found tires they used to start their brush fires with too.
I strongly advice anyone in this situation to have someone nearby with a video camera when talking to the power company. Worked for me. And by no means make any physical threats. Saying leave my property until I call my congressman and other officals and Representative's is by no means a threat. It is a right.
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