Category Archives: private property rights

TREND. No Eminent Domain for Pipelines. 4 Points from the Washington Post.

Lots of dollars going into pipeline investment.

  • U.S. has the largest netowrk of pipelines.  more than 2.5 million miles of pipes
  • High Annual Investment. American petroluem Institute says average annual investment will be above $80 billion until 2020

This issue unites Rs and Ds.  Liberal enviromentalists join with libertarian leaning propety rights advocates

Its made an impact:

  • 2 states, SC and GA, have passed prohibitions on pipelines using eminent domains
  • Multiple courts have sided…

Eminent Domain. Church. Texas. Competing Constitutional Rights + Compensation Dispute.

Where in Texas is a church facing potential eminent domain situation?  Longview

What is the discrepancy in compensation?

  • The city offered offered $1,049.50
  • An appraiser has appraised the value of the land to be taken at  $71,209.00

What trends have been happening with eminent domain & churches?

  • The City of Houston in 2015 backed away from a plan to include a church in an eminent domain qualifying housing project
  • Courts in Kentucky have said that the church’s 1st amendment rights…

#1 Reason. Land Owner Says No to Vista Ridge Offer.

Is eminent domain on the table for the Vista Ridge Pipeline connecting to San Antonio Water System? YES

What does SAWS predict as a reason to say No to a Vista Ridge purchase offer? Rural lands that have been in a family for generations.

What does a landowner in the path of Vista Ridge say is his concern and reason he opposes Vista Ridge? His land’s water well drops. The background:

  • This property owner’s water well dropped 17 feet when Blue Water, a member of the Vista Ridge…

Post Mortem. Eminent Domain Bill Requires Purchase of Neighboring Land.

What state was moving a bill that would require natural gas pipelines to buy any land within 250 feet of a natural gas line? New Hampshire

Would the natural gas comapny be required to by all or part of the land? All of the land as long as part of the land was within 250 feet of a natural gas line?

How far did the bill get? Passed through one legislative chamber, died on the last day of consideration of bills in the second legislative chamber. 

Eagle Tribune | Lawmakers kill new…

Local TREND: Owner Builds. City Takes Part of Owner's Land in Exchange. 4 Pieces of Intel to Keep you Informed:

Which city is trading building permits for land? The City of Perris, California

What was the city’s policy? Its called a dedication requirement. Here’s how it works:

  • Property owner wants to build on their property.
  • Property owner needs permits.
  • City takes part of your land when you get your building permit

Why is the City of Perris taking land when permits are issued?

  • To suppress the fair market compensation value of land
  • Later, the city will take more of the owner’s land via eminent…

Private Property Rights. Drones Overhead. 3 Arguments For Allowing Drones on Private Property.

  • Curtailing drone use kills innovation
  • Existing legal recourse for the privacy violations touted by drone legislation supporters
  • Keep off my lawn is not governing when  the future of our delivery infrastructure is at stake

The Wall Street Journal | Should You Be Allowed to Prevent Drones From Flying Over Your Property?

INTERIM. Private Property Rights. 3 Trends Changing the Definition of Special District.

  • New IRS regulations
    • will make it harder for special districts to borrow money tax-free
    • IRS says special districts are benefitting by a tax rgulations meant for cities, not for special districts
  • Special District Growth
    • 39,000 special districts in the U.S.
    • spending more revenue than all cities in the U.S. combined
  • Changing the defintion of local government
    • ​IRS standard is any 1 of these 3 makes an entity a municipality:
      • Does it have the power of taxation?
      • Does it…

The Texas Congressman. Eminent Domain. High Speed Rail.

Which Texas Congressman wrote to the Surface Transportation Board about opposing high speed rail in Texas? Congressman Brady

What is Congressman Brady’s opposition to high speed rail in Texas? 

  • Congressman Brady opposes accelerated use of eminent domain or construction
  • Congressman Brady says the route is wrong
  • Congressman Brady opposes financial loans for high speed rail from the federal government

What is Congressman Brady’s opposition to the high speed rail route? 

  • The route…