Monthly Archives: November 2020

A local business owner in New York opined as to how his local governmental entities used eminent domain as a weapon. How else is eminent domain characterized by the property owner? political vandalism  legal coercion discourages investor confidence and interested buyers. Commerical Observer Buffalo News | Another Voice: Stop using eminent domain as a weapon

The City of Houston is permitting restaurants and bars to utilize open spaces outside their buildings along Main. The Local Program: More Space Main Street program would close the road to vehicles and allow bars and restaurants to create outdoor seating spaces in the street.. The pilot will continue until March 2022. Houston Chronicle | Houston […]

Where: North Dakota What: A bill is bring proposed to make North Dakota the 1st state in country to allow private land owners to electronically post their land as accessible for hunters. Why? This replaces what landowners call a costly system that requires landowners to post that their land is closed to hunters. North Dakota […]

Urban Houston and Urban NYC look vastly different, but does that make homes inside Houston’s 610 Loop suburban? I know it when I see it is a better solution. But, an even better solution: data Here’s an example of how population data can define urban, suburban and exurb: “City” simply equals core city-limits population “Suburbs” […]

What’s happening in Nashville? Two new build properties are suing the city refusing to foot the bill for sidewalks in front of their properties. What do land owners say? The city is shirking responsibility and asking private landowner to pay for public spaces, sidewalks Streetsblog | Two Nashville Residents Ask: Should Landowners Fund Sidewalks?

What do I need to know: The just compensation isn’t a by-the-book eminent domain issue. It involves foreclosure sale that occurred in the middle of a sales transaction by the property owner. What legal quirk then emerged: The Land Bank that swooped in to take the land transferred the property to a private owner at […]

What did Massachusetts vigors approve on the 2020 ballot? An expanded right to repair law that gives more repair people access to car data. It was the most expensive ballot proposition in the state’s history, clocking in at $43 Million. So what new data will be open by the new law? Starts on all 2022 […]

Where: Portland Maine What new restrictions were on the ballot for short term rentals? eliminate non-owner occupied short-term rentals increase the registration fee from $100 to $1,000 per unit 52% of voters disapproved of the proposal. Portland Herald Press via Governing | Maine Voters Raise Minimum Wage and Approve Rent Control

Where: Michigan What: Michigan Proposition 2 would apply constitutional property protections to individual’s electronic data requiring a search warrant as much as a search of an individual’s home or property. Passage? 88.8% Said yes property rights apply to your data Detroit News | Michigan voters face proposals on public land funds, protecting electronic data

Where: Virginia What: Virginia Department of Transportation Offers to Use eminent domain to take land it needed that had a large confederate flag that is seen on the nearby highway How: VDOT offered to remove the flag or allow the group that flies the flag to remove it. The group removed the flag. After citizen […]