As a resident of Moorestown this article regarding the use of Eminent Domain by Mt. Laurel Township caught my eye. To read about it visit the article in the Burlington County Times
At first I was shocked and concerned how in the United States that the right of an individual (or in this case a business) to own property could be stripped away. Yes, open space is very important and useful to every community, but something about this ruling concerns me. What is next? Will the economics of purchasing a property really slow townships from acquiring land? Will land owners truly get fair market value or the potential value the land would be worth fully developed?
This ruling's impact is still unknown, but in my mind it just became a little tougher for land owners. What do you think?
For more intellectual analysis and some historical perspective regarding Mount Laurel Township v. Mipro Homes, LLC visit the following sources and then let me know what you think about this ruling.
(1) A Taste of Things to Come?: Eminent Domain in the Name of Population Control by Matthew Stoloff
(2) Fresh Twist on Eminent Domain as seen in The New York Times
(3) Use of Eminent Domain to Halt Development by Vincent J. Mangini
(4) N.J. Supreme Court Affirms Eminent Domain Decision in Mt. Laurel v MiPro Homes by Bill Ward
(5) N.J. Justices say towns can seize developers' land - Ruling expands eminent domain by Kate Coscarelli from The Star Ledger as seen on New Jersey Conservation Foundation News Coverage
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