Author Archives: Tessa Zavala

Meet HB 114 (2021 | TX) which would prohibit high speed rail from receiving state agency approval (granting the power of eminent domain) OR state agency negotiation for land for the high speed rail project, until and unless the project received “all necessary federal approvals and permits” Texas Monthly | What Was Behind Greg Abbott’s […]

Where: Missouri What: SB 1 (2020 | MO) What protections does SB 1 afford and to whom? health-care providers deployed by the state during a declared state of emergency will not be liable for civil damages or administrative sanctions related to the delivery, or non-delivery, of health-care necessitated by the emergency

Who: State Fair of Texas Why is the State Fair of Texas correcting for property rights violations that impacted Black communities? Because the Fair takes place grounds that were built by displacing Black communities The entity taking action: Fair Park First What is Fair Park First doing? Developing a $58million park to give back to […]

Where is this happening? Los Angeles What is the proposal? A city council member is proposing utilizing COVI relief fund to acquire by eminent domain an apartment building for affordable housing Is there a deadline for the city to spend the COVID funds? Yes, December 31st Does the owner want to sell the apartment building? […]

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 […]