This ruling is much worse than you think. It has the of cascaded effect. In other words:
A widow has an undeveloped property as an investment from her late husband. A judge rules that a developer can develop houses on it to increase property taxes to support the local schools. The widow is given the minimum amount for the land and the developer puts a house on the land.
A year later, the city fathers decide that they want a huge mall to get revenue for their local sales tax. The Widows home and all the other homes in that area are given to the Project Managers of the Mall. The homeowners are given the minimum values of their homes.
A year later, the State decides that the mall is environmentally unsafe and writes a bill to have it turned into a environmentally wetland. The mall is razed and the roads around it. The businesses in the mall are given the minimum value for their property and the employees are fired.
Brave new world huh?
The bad guys behind this is the drug company Pfizer, 235 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017. They need to hear from us.
They don't even need the land that these houses are on. They just feel that the complex they are plannig on building will look "nicer" without them. Amazing, sadly amazing.
"Brave new world huh?"
I think that blood will be spilled over this eventually.
I live on roughly an acre, sort of a last outpost in a larger community of newer townhouses and postage stamp lots with mc mansions. I love my land with it's stream, one that Washington himself crossed on the way to fight the Indians and French, old trees, woodpeckers, foxes, deer and turkeys. It's not much but it's perfect for me and my family.
Now I know the government could get much more taxes if they tear down my house and plant 15 townhouse on it. Seems that now they have the justifcation and case law. Will it happen? perhaps.
In my state both partys have lied and said they would get rid of the personal property tax on vehicles, they haven't. In fact they keep raising my personal property tax on my house and land. I don't trust them at all. But this snowball has been rolling down hill for a long time.
If you all are ready for a tea party count me in.
You just described my (our) situation. We have property that we seriously want to pass on to our next generation. It was a King George Grant from the 1700's.
A bunch of idiot city folk have decided they like 'livin' in the country'. Moving out here and in general, being more of a PITA than a pleasant addition.
But, since they are crowding in this specific area, there is no doubt that things like malls, movie theaters etc are on the horizon.
Don't get me wrong, I like those too...but I don't see it as an inconvenience to drive 30 minutes to one (Heck, I lived in Atlanta, you couldn't get NO where in less than 30 minutes!).
So, those of us who have been quietly paying our taxes, preserving our property for the next generation are very likely to be the ones who get screwed over by a bunch of greedy, immoral azzhats who want to change the country to the city, whether we want it or not.