Eminent Domain - Pandora's Box Opened

Eminent Domain is a threat all who desire to one day own a home.

As it stands, you have no rights to your home; even if you have lived there 30 + years, it still doesn't matter.

Where does it say that City or Local Government can take your home away from you and give it to another private citizen without your permission or willingness?

When did we become a Communist country where everything is owned by the Government?

Now, for your home to be taken from you it doesn't even need to be "blighted", but now it can be "deteriorating" and that is good enough excuse for the local government to take it away from you. Unfortunately, "deteriorating" could mean anything and that leaves ALOT to be interpreted, and open for the local government to take your home. Who is to say what Deteriorating is?

Joy and Carl Gamble say they just want to retire peacefully in the dream home where they've lived for more than 35 years. But the Cincinnati suburb of Norwood has other plans for the property.

Using its power of eminent domain, the city wants to take a neighborhood that it considers to be deteriorating and boost its fortunes by allowing a $125 million development of offices and shops.
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"It is our home, what's ours is ours, and it should be that way," Joy Norwood told a rally Wednesday morning before the hearing. "It was a home worth fighting home, and we do want it back."
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The city and a private developer contend that Norwood had the right to acquire the property. They also argue that eminent domain applied not because the area is "blighted," but because it is "deteriorating."
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"When the municipalities and the people that have lots of money decide they want what you have, you don't own it," Gamble said. "You bought it, you paid for it, you kept the taxes up, you kept the appearance up, but it wasn't yours."

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More on it here:

The city of Norwood is trying to use eminent domain to seize remaining properties for a developer who wants to build a $125 million project of offices, shops and restaurants.

The city says the tax revenue will boost the its economic fortunes. Homeowners Carl and Joy Gamble say the city abused its authority to seize property by declaring the neighborhood **deteriorating**, a less severe condition than blighted. (Emphasis mine)
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"Does it make any difference that it appears that the private developer was the one that started this ball rolling?" she said.

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