Unintended Consequences: Eminent Domain - Izzit.org

If they take it by eminent domain therefore they won’t have to pay us what our house isworth. And they can take that same property and they can sell it for millions.I had no idea that one day they just would not want me to be here, just because I don’thave enough money.CARRA: If redevelopment plans go forth, Princess Wells will lose her home and herbusiness as well.WELLS: If I have to move my business, I’ll have to do everything from ground levelone, all over again.CARRA: Mayor Brown has stated that they are going to continue and that they are notgoing to stop. The threat of eminent domain still looms.Chapter Four: Supreme Court CaseCARRA: Now let’s take a look at the Susette Kelo case. This case made it all the way tothe Supreme Court in 2005. It sparked a huge debate about the importance of propertyrights.The case involves homeowner Susette Kelo and her neighbors versus the city of NewLondon, Connecticut.SUSETTE KELO: When I first came here with the realtor I walked in the front door- itwas like I had been here all of my life. It was just an overwhelming feeling when Iwalked in this place.CARRA: In 1998, the city condemned 115 properties in order to build a private healthclub and office buildings to support the development of a local pharmaceutical plant. 15property owners did not want to sell so the city used eminent domain to seize theirproperties.KELO: There were…if I can count them, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; there were 9 housesspanning this street here.Everybody knew everybody, if you went to work, the neighbors watched your kids andthat’s the way it was. In the spring of 1998, the City of New London came out with amunicipal development plan that said that the homes in the Fort Trumbull neighborhoodwould be taken by eminent domain. They thought that they could place something herethat would bring more taxes to the city.This was here, the penny candy store. And the grinder shop, this was the Chivals’s deli.5