Fair Compensation for Land

It’s time to look at eminent domain seizure of property and reform the practices to define “fair compensation”.

If highways or roads need to be expanded or pipelines need to be built, land owners believe that current practices violate their property rights.

If a pipeline needs to go through a farm, the farmer should be able to choose to either sell the land to the pipeline company for the going rate or collect an annual rental fee.

If the farmland is $3000 per acre and the land required for the pipeline installation and easement for maintenance is 100 acres, the price would be $300,000. The pipeline company would be the registered owners and would pay the property tax bill on this property from the sale date on.

If the property owner prefers to collect an annual rental fee for the use of the 100 acres, it should be close to the rental income the property owner would get for leasing out the land to other farmers.

Valid and necessary eminent domain cases should follow “best practices”.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader