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[2014 + 1994] Atlantic City Wants to Bulldoze a Home to Benefit a Casino
reason.com ^ | May 20, 2014 | Damon Root

Posted on 01/25/2016 1:11:46 PM PST by huldah1776

In 1994 a New Jersey state agency known as the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) tried to seize the home of an elderly widow named Vera Coking, who lived just off of Atlantic City's famous beachfront boardwalk. In place of Coking's modest residence, state officials envisioned a new limousine parking lot for the neighboring Trump Plaza, the high-rise hotel and casino owned and operated by real estate tycoon Donald Trump.

Thankfully, this preposterous attempt to wield eminent domain on Trump's behalf was struck down in court. "What has occurred here is analogous to giving Trump a blank check with respect to future development on the property for casino hotel purposes," declared the Superior Court of New Jersey in a sharp ruling against the CRDA. Coking remained in her home.

Flash forward two decades, and the CRDA is back to its old dirty tricks. Today the Superior Court of New Jersey is hearing arguments in the case of Casino Reinvestment Development Authority v. Birnbaum. Once again, the state agency is trying to use eminent domain on behalf of a politically connected Atlantic City casino.

(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: 1stcanadiansenator; aloser; eminentdomain; oops; postedoverandover; tds; trump; validcriticism
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To: huldah1776

Even her fellow holdouts said they thought she had made a mistake. Both eventually agreed to sell, the owners of Sabatini’s restaurant receiving $2.1 million and $1.6 million going to the pawnshop. Their buildings were demolished, now part of a huge lawn flanking a taxi stand for the casino.

“I think she got greedy and made a mistake, a big mistake,” Vincent Sabatini, a former owner of the restaurant, said of Ms. Coking. “Trump was tough, but it was just business.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/nyregion/a-homeowner-who-refused-to-cash-out-in-a-gambling-town-may-have-missed-her-chance.htmlv


61 posted on 01/25/2016 2:35:50 PM PST by McGruff (There's no crying in politics)
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To: miss marmelstein
Yes, we've gone over this before, and you continue to ignore the fact that the issue is not whether she lost her house or not - the issue is Trump's attempt (successful or not) to use his government cronies to take her house when she refused to sell it to him. That he would even try tells me all I need to know about how he views the role of government power, and his view of crony capitalism. The fact that he was unsuccessful (because she had the good fortune to have excellent pro bono lawyers) means nothing.
62 posted on 01/25/2016 2:35:55 PM PST by dem bums
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No bulldozers seen.

63 posted on 01/25/2016 2:37:38 PM PST by McGruff (There's no crying in politics)
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To: Zhang Fei
Because she wanted to stay put...

She was hatching a nest egg...

64 posted on 01/25/2016 2:41:19 PM PST by kiryandil ("When Muslims in the White House are outlawed, only Barack Obama will be an outlaw")
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To: Zhang Fei

“Why would they be scared of him? He’s one of them. He’ll do what they want because they share common interests.”

They’re scared of him because they cannot buy him like they are used to buying all other politicians.

billionaires are not some monolithic group with some secret society where they all meet and anoint one of them like trump to represent them.

there are massive political differences and economic conflicts between gates, buffet, soros, steyer, kochs, and all the rest. the only commonality amongst them is that they are used to purchasing politicians. trump is not for sale so they’re totally screwed when trump gets in.


65 posted on 01/25/2016 2:41:35 PM PST by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: dem bums
Yes, we've gone over this before, and you continue to ignore the fact that the issue is not whether she lost her house or not - the issue is Trump's attempt (successful or not) to use his government cronies to take her house when she refused to sell it to him. That he would even try tells me all I need to know about how he views the role of government power, and his view of crony capitalism. The fact that he was unsuccessful (because she had the good fortune to have excellent pro bono lawyers) means nothing.

It wasn't her house.

It's the government's house.

She just rented it, like you and I rent our houses from the government.

66 posted on 01/25/2016 2:43:36 PM PST by kiryandil ("When Muslims in the White House are outlawed, only Barack Obama will be an outlaw")
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To: kiryandil

Carl Icahn bought it at acution for $530,000 with property records showing:

Property records online show the transfer Sept. 9 from the
Coking family to IEH Investments.

http://articles.philly.com/2014-11-20/news/56313332_1_trump-plaza-vera-coking-carl-icahn


67 posted on 01/25/2016 2:45:45 PM PST by deport
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To: catnipman
They’re scared of him because they cannot buy him like they are used to buying all other politicians.

He's one of them. He doesn't need to be bought.

billionaires are not some monolithic group with some secret society where they all meet and anoint one of them like trump to represent them.

There's no need for coordination. Rich people have many of the same interests. They include the ability to hire anyone they want and buy the materials they want at the lowest possible cost, and low taxes. Trump obviously has additional specialized interests and would benefit, as president, from issuing executive orders sticking it to his competition and making it easier for Trump-related companies to get financing, acquire property and so on. Just because Trump says certain things this year, which are different from what he said last year, which are different from... is no reason to make him the GOP nominee.

68 posted on 01/25/2016 2:53:01 PM PST by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: deport
The Penthouse Casino owners tried to puchase the property to no avail. So they went ahead
with construction of their casino but financial problems occurred and it wasn't completed.

I never understood how they were building in the space above the
house since they didn't own the land below.

Coking house at 127 S Columbia Pl, between the steel framework
of the planned Penthouse Casino; photographed by Jack Boucher
for Historic American Buildings Survey, c.1991

69 posted on 01/25/2016 2:53:45 PM PST by deport
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To: deport

Thanks, deport. :)


70 posted on 01/25/2016 3:20:13 PM PST by kiryandil ("When Muslims in the White House are outlawed, only Barack Obama will be an outlaw")
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To: Zhang Fei; catnipman
Just because Trump says certain things this year, which are different from what he said last year, which are different from... is no reason to make him the GOP nominee

By golly, you've convinced me!

Just because Cruz says certain things this year, which are different from what he said last year, which are different from... is no reason to make him the GOP nominee.

After all, Cruz's wife works for Goldman Sachs, the Richie Rich "investment" firm, and it could be that Goldman Sachs needs another Jon Corzine type in a position of power.

71 posted on 01/25/2016 3:24:15 PM PST by kiryandil ("When Muslims in the White House are outlawed, only Barack Obama will be an outlaw")
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To: Boogieman

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ar-supreme-court/1125992.html


72 posted on 01/25/2016 3:27:54 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ar-supreme-court/1125992.html


73 posted on 01/25/2016 3:28:26 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: huldah1776

This report came out right after the property was sold at auction.

http://6abc.com/news/home-of-ac-resident-who-challenged-trump-sold/184080/

The video that accompanies the report features a brief interview with a resident of the area who claims that Vera Coking was holding out for $4 million, more than twice what Trump was willing to pay for a property that was worth $180K.

If that’s true, and I have no way of knowing one way or the other, that might just indicate that she was motivated by greed rather than love of her decrepit building.

And years later, when it was finally put up for sale, she was trying to get $5 million.

I’m not saying this to excuse Trump, because he was clearly wrong in this case.

I’m just suggesting that Ms. Coking might not have been quite the innocent victim that she has been portrayed as.


74 posted on 01/25/2016 3:30:36 PM PST by Fresh Wind (Falcon 105)
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To: dem bums
Trump didn't create the Eminent Domain law.

Obama is in the process of using it for his library.

The Clinton's used it for their library.

75 posted on 01/25/2016 3:35:34 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Fundamentally Fair

You bet she would do it all on her own choice, I told her I posted this remark she laughed and said “ I wonder how fast I could get the moving van here with ALL that money”!!! She has also been a widow for 35 years!
She said oh my goodness if I had all of that to be able to give you and your brother I could pass away today very peacefully!! God bless her heart and soul!!


76 posted on 01/25/2016 5:01:19 PM PST by Kit cat (OBummer must go)
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To: Kit cat

Now what do we do about people who don’t want to sell?


77 posted on 01/25/2016 5:10:36 PM PST by Fundamentally Fair (Pictionary at the Rorschach's tonight!)
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To: Sacajaweau
We went over this yesterday. She should have read “Art of the Deal” and taken the $1.8 mil for that rat trap. She was unduly influenced by her relatives. She lost. End of story.

And what the hell difference does it make whether she won or lost? It was her property. She should have the right to sell or not. Eminent Domain should not be used to enrich corporations.

78 posted on 01/25/2016 5:10:38 PM PST by Starstruck (I'm usually sarcastic. Deal with it.)
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To: TigerClaws
Most of a pipeline is buried. Crossing farmland, the line is buried well below plow depth, at a mandated setback from homes and occupied buildings. You can still farm the land above the pipeline, if the trench is filled correctly.

Eminent domain seldom figures in the leasing of pipeline rights of way, as the negotiations are handled as a private contract.

As I look at a doorway in our house, the one with the marks indicating the height, with date and name, of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, I am reminded there is a big difference between digging a trench across the back pasture and tearing down my home.

There are some things money just can't buy.

79 posted on 01/25/2016 7:18:43 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: huldah1776

Donald Trump is a cruel bully. Glad he lost the case in the courts later.

Hope he loses AGAIN - the GOP primary. We will all be better off, as he would try to control all of us.


80 posted on 01/25/2016 10:51:02 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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