Eminent domain looks less imminent

[Neil D]

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Legislation to put the kibosh on land developers seizing private property for private use is moving closer to enactment.

The House voted 376-38 Thursday to approve the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005 --a bill cosponsored by 98 members of Congress that would prohibit states and local communities that receive federal economic development to invoke eminent domain as a means for private industry to build private businesses. A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate.

Eminent domain, under the House bill, would only allow federal funds for economic development such as building roads and hospital, acquiring abandoned property and revitalizing a blighted area.

The House bill would also allow private property owners the right to sue the appropriate government entity if they were stripped of their land through the use of eminent domain and later found that the land was given to a private developer.

Article on Eminent domain

[Restin]

I should be an expert by now, speaking of eminent domain! I live in a beautiful, private place way off the road, backed up to a state park. One day I get a letter informing me the county is going to take half my land for a huge storm -water retaining area for a new hiway.....not because it's low but because it's high...ya can't put water in a full glass, ya know. So there went my horse pasture of 40 yrs, and no say so about it.No more horses. Got me a lawyer and at least will make them pay what it's really worth instead of th peanuts they tried to throw at me. Word is, 40% of people take the first cheap offer without even knowing they can get a lawyer and make the county do right, and have the state pay the lawyer, too. I think it's a raging shame the county can take people's land like that.