Welcome to the Future!
The City: Oklahoma City, OK
The Entertainment Distict: Bricktown
The city’s goal with the property acquisition: make it easier for people to get into Bricktown
The land the city needs to get to this goal of easy access: A U-Haul Parking Lot
Is UHaul agreeable: Yes to the project. No to the city offered compensation.
What was the business response: An open letter to the City that makes these points:
Kansas Supreme Court ruled in late July 2017 that a violation of a restrictive covenant by an entity with the power of eminent domain is a taking requiring compensation requiring just compensation.
Thats a lot of legal words, what does it mean? In this Kansas case it means that Kansas DOT acquired land that was restricted to single family homes via restricted covenant. When KSDOT builds a bridge or roadway on that land it creates a compensable damage to the subdivision that created the…
The alleged crimes: “fraud by getting inside information from the Texas Department of Transportation to buy cheap land alongside Interstate 35E and then flip it to the state at inflated prices”
How was the land value increased? land underdevelopment was considered to be a higher value
The “profit” generated by these sales to TXDOT? $12.6Million
How does this project seek to avoid eminent domain? The hydrogen superhighway proposed in Michigan will elevate the superhighway, limiting the need for access roads.
What will the superhighway carry?
What is flipping right of way? 2 investors have been investigated by the FBI for buying right of way near I-35East, and arguing that land delveopment deals increased the land’s value when the land was sold to TXDOT.
What happened to the 2 investors?
The amount garnered from the land transactions? 2 investors received $12.9 million above their purchase price
…Illinois
For a county to build a connector road project, the county has to receive authority for a quick take eminent domain from the state.
Once quick take eminent domain authority is granted, the county has 1 year to exercise eminent domain.
Herald & Review | Macon County awaits state action on eminent domain authority
Why did the East Montgomery County Improvement District sue TXDOT? The board thought it was important to show a jury the loss of value in the land:
What was…
How would a county in Texas be able to capture license plate information for the purpose of enforcing minimum libaility insurance statutes?
How did we learn this step by step guide to county license plate reader use? Because of Attorney General Opinion KP-0076 that answers whether Bowie County can engage a private…
What law enforcement agency was investigating land deals in North Texas? U.S. Department of Justice
What transportation project is involved? I-35 E expansion in Denton County
What crimes are alleged to be involved in these land deals? conspiracy to commit mail fraud
What makes people believe real estate development was land speculation?
Which pipeline was scrapped citing legislative reasons? The Palmetto Pipeline set to run through South Carolina, Georgia and Florida
What caught the attention of the legislators and regulators? Whether a pipeline that traverses a state, without providing product to that state, can give the state a public benefit.
What was the action by the states on a legislative and regulatory level? Permits were denied & legislators paused the use of eminent domain by private entities so that the…