Pennsylvania eminent domain news

2012-01-27T11:24:00.005-05:00

Opinion – Mike Krauss: Taking form the rich and giving to… the rich
Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown, PA – Jan. 27, 2012
…Cities and counties from California toMichigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and even nearby Reading, are moving touse public funds — the common wealth — to form partnership banks that can takevacant homes by eminent domain, and work with community banks, homebuilders,skilled trade workers, realtors and housing authorities to maintain theseproperties and put people back in them on affordable terms as owners, andrescue their communities from the pending Obama nation...

2012-01-12T11:56:00.001-05:00

Opinion - Ralph Stewart, Bellefonte borough manager:Development in Bellefonte’s best interest
Centre DailyTimes, State College, PA – Jan 12, 2012
To clarifyBellefonte’s intentions regarding the waterfront business district, it has notbeen without deliberation that the borough has initiated eminent domainproceedings against two properties adjacent to Spring Creek between the Highand Lamb street bridges…

Indian Lakemoving forward with eminent domain
Daily American, Somerset, PA – Jan 11, 2012
…Boroughofficials voted Wednesday to end the backslide. The council authorized thefiling of all the collected easements and has authorized the beginning ofeminent domain proceedings — a legal right-of-use taking of privately ownedland…

2012-01-11T13:13:00.001-05:00

Variances grantedfor tract carved from Route 222
Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Jan 11, 2012
...Variances were warrantedbecause the tract's configuration is a result of the state using eminent domainto build the Route 222 bypass, board Solicitor Stephen Price said…

Arena demo throws a lot of dust in thewind
WFMZ-TV, 69News, Allentown, PA – Jan 11, 2012
…Onebuilding that hasn't had asbestos removal yet is the Rite Aid on HamiltonStreet. The city is still acquiring that property through eminent domain…

Allentownbegins eminent domain process against Rite Aid in hockey arena area
The Express-Times,Easton, PA – Jan 10, 2012
Allentown has begun the eminent domain process against the Rite Aid propertyat 733 Hamilton St., which falls in the area of the planned hockey arena…

2012-01-09T18:09:00.001-05:00

Owners object to seizing of property in Bellefonte
Centre Daily Times, State College, PA – Jan 7, 2012
The owners of one waterfront property filed theirobjections this week to the borough’s attempt to take their land by eminentdomain…

2012-01-04T09:43:00.002-05:00

Allentown, Pennsylvania’s AHL Dreams Coming True
Yahoo.com – Jan 4, 2012
…Though many are excited for the new arena and local hockey, theproject does have some opposition. Local businesses had to be bought out, ortaken by eminent domain, in order to make room for the arena. Business ownerswere not happy with this, but there was not much that could be done…

2011-12-29T10:30:00.001-05:00

Lehigh Valley 2011Top Stories: #5 Allentown's Hockey Arena
WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA –Dec 29, 2011
…To squeeze in the arenaand surrounding development, many businesses along Seventh and Hamilton had tobe squeezed out. Through eminent domain the city did just that: buyingbusinesses and offering to help them move…

Baker's natural gaspipeline safety bill signed into law
The Daily Review, Towanda, PA – Dec 28, 2011

…Baker notedthat the new law will also give the PUC the power to regulate natural gaspipelines without having to deem them a public utility. Therefore, the power ofeminent domain is not extended…

2011-12-19T19:17:00.001-05:00

School board keeps eye on hockey arena, airport and otherdevelopment plans
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Dec 16, 2011
…Before the meeting, School Director David Zimmerman saidhe and other board members have felt shut out of the arena plans. Zimmermansaid the mayor's staff has never explained to the school board the city'seminent domain process of acquiring properties for the arena…

2011-12-08T13:29:00.001-05:00

Allentownauthorized to use eminent domain at church property for American Parkway Bridgeproject
The Express-Times, Easton, PA – Dec 8, 2011
…Allentown City Council has authorized thecity to use eminent domain to acquire part of a city church's property to makeway for a road as part of the American Parkway Bridge project…

Opinion - MikeKrauss: This time,everybody wins -- except Wall Street
The Bucks County Courier Times, Levittown, PA - Dec 8,2011
…Using the power of eminent domain, the county can seize vacantand foreclosed homes and commercial properties, which further depress propertyvalues and are becoming bases of operation for vandals, gangs and drug dealers.These properties become one more asset of the public bank…

Arena projectdemolition delayed
WFMZ-TV, 69News, Allentown, PA – Dec 7, 2011
…"I can't speakpublicly on property negotiations," said Hailstone. "I can tell youthat we did file on a couple of properties through the eminent domain process.However, all of those have been settled."…

2011-12-05T19:31:00.001-05:00

Interestremains in vacant Black Diamond Enterprises property in Easton
TheExpress-Times, Easton, PA – Dec 3, 2011
…If the city’s redevelopment authority eventually takes theproperty through eminent domain, it must offer the property for developmentthrough an open bidding process…

3rd generationjewelry store to move after 80 years downtown
WFMZ-TV, 69News, Allentown, PA – Dec 2, 2011
…Over the past severalmonths, a number of businesses said they felt they were being given a raw dealbecause of the city's eminent domain…

2011-11-28T12:21:00.001-05:00

York College-owned buildings to be demolished
York Daily Record, York, PA – Nov 24, 2011
…Still more controversy arose over how the college came to own atleast one of the properties. A historic duplex on the corner of Manor Streetwas certified blighted and seized via eminent domain by the York RedevelopmentAuthority in 2005 after the owner rejected an offer from the college to buy theproperty...

2011-11-17T09:44:00.001-05:00

McKeesport's Cornellconstruction project delayed
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Nov 16, 2011
…The third isplanned for property currently known as the Bucks Mansion property, which sitsadjacent to Penn State Greater Allegheny. The district plans to use eminentdomain to obtain the Bucks property against the wishes of its owner, RobertDeTorre.

2011-11-14T11:07:00.001-05:00

Old Erie warehouse to fall soon for EMTA project
Erie Times-News, PA – Nov 14, 2011
…EMTA hasalready received $976,000 in state funding, with $930,541 spent, for thepurchase of the 28 targeted parcels through eminent domain, and another $2.1from the state for demolition...

2011-11-11T13:30:00.001-05:00

Laser Northeast public utility application withdrawn
The Citizens’ Voice,Wilkes-Barre, PA – Nov 11, 2011
…ThePUC voted 3-2 to allow Laser Northeast Gathering Co. to pull the application,which would have subjected it to safety standards, but would have made iteasier to take private property by eminent domain...

2011-11-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

Could lawsuit stall arena project?
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Nov 4, 2011
…The suit brought by Abraham Atiyeh, through his company,Whitehall Manor Inc., objects to the city's use of eminent domain, which allowsgovernment to take private property for economic development…

2011-10-31T16:18:00.000-04:00

GOP's mayor-in-exile tells why he's running for council
Sunday News, Lancaster, PA – Oct 30, 2011
…"There's got to be a mix on council because there are majorquestions [to address] — and nobody's questioning." He cited a councildecision earlier this year to use eminent domain to seize a parking lot onCrystal Street to provide more parking for nearby Rodney Park, which wasscheduled for renovations...

State Could Close Lake Due To Spillway Damage
WGAL-TV, News 8, Lancaster, PA – Oct 29, 2011
…Back in the 1960's though, the state took her land by eminentdomain. Now Mosimann said she feels like it's the state's job to make sure thelake stays put…

Coatesville OKs study on blight
Daily Local News, Coatesville, PA – Oct 28, 2011
…The study is required by state law to allow theauthority to utilize eminent domain to acquire properties for redevelopment.The properties must also be certified as blighted by the study…

2011-10-26T18:59:00.002-04:00

New plan brewing for Neuweiler property
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Oct 26, 2011
…TheRedevelopment Authority, which used eminent domain to take possession of theblighted brewery in the 400 block of Front Street in 2009, will transferownership of both riverfront-area properties as well as two downtown sites toACIDA, but only if ACIDA agrees to assume responsibility for repaying the$800,000 loan from Brooks Group...

2011-10-21T20:14:00.000-04:00

Pennsylvania Welder Fights Eminent Domain
FoxNews.com – Oct 21, 2011
… But the government has taken title to his land by eminent domain,forcing Valerio to consider the prospect of closing his doors forever…

2011-10-20T11:28:00.001-04:00

Allentownplans public meetings on arena project
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Oct 20, 2011
…City Council voted in May to authorize the city to use eminentdomain if necessary to acquire 34 properties in the footprint of the arena, butthe other major decisions have been made by the lesser-known AllentownCommercial and Industrial Development Authority…

NortheastExtension Widening Final Plans Shown at Open House
Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch, Patch.com – Oct 20, 2011
…The last timethe PTC presented an open house like this was in 2007. At that time, there were75 potential properties identified as being impacted by the project, includingby eminent domain…

2011-10-17T10:11:00.000-04:00

Borough set to take old convenience store
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Oct 15, 2011
St. Lawrence Borough Council voted 6-1 Thursday to takethe former Wawa property at 3150 St. Lawrence Ave. by eminent domain, offeringwhatever the new owner paid…

NewsmakerQ&A: Adam Santo
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Oct 15, 2011
…They areagainst it because the city is using eminent domain to vacate residents andbusiness owners in the area and it is funded with our tax dollars…

What Is the Keystone XL Pipeline — and Why Is It So Controversial?
Northcentralpa.com – Oct 14, 2011
…TransCanada says it is compensatinglandowners fairly, and notes that, "Our permit does allow us to useeminent domain to acquire an easement and provide compensation for thelandowner. Keystone XL always prefers to avoid the use of eminent domain, andif we cannot reach an agreement, then we turn to the independentprocesses/hearings that are established in Texas and other U.S. states."…

Floodrecovery in Lebanon County enters next stage
Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, PA – Oct 13, 2011
… She added that not everyone will receive a buyout.Those who do will be paid fair-market value based on the value of the propertybefore the flood. Because it is a voluntary program - unlike eminent domain -property owners can back out at any time, she said…

2011-10-14T10:51:00.000-04:00

EMTA gets $13.9Mfor massive expansion
Erie Times-News,PA – Oct 14, 2011
…Since then, EMTAhas been using eminent domain to acquire the property needed for the expansion.EMTA'splan is to replace 28 parcels, all but five of them vacant and many of themblighted, with a large parking lot and the four new buildings…

Authority evaluateswater system capacity
News-Chronicle,Shippensburg, PA – Oct 13, 2011
…“Ifthe Authority is not able to get an agreeable right of way, which honestlyknowing who you are dealing with I don’t think that’s going to happen, you needto be able to condemn the property and take it by eminent domain,” said Myers…

2011-10-11T12:20:00.004-04:00

People object to Pentex application
The DailyReview, Towanda, PA – Oct 11, 2011
…And one common concernamong some of the speakers, including Carolyn Knapp, a landowner in SheshequinTownship, was that eminent domain might result...

2011-10-10T10:43:00.000-04:00

Part ofSecurity Savings building to be preserved
The Standard Speaker, Hazelton, PA – Oct 9, 2011
…Val-MarHoldings of Frank DeGaetano purchased the building for $330,000 on Dec. 30,2005, and Luzerne County paid Val-Mar $700,500 when the county took thebuilding by eminent domain, with an eye toward relocating the Luzerne CountyCourthouse Annex there. However, that never happened...

Peeling back the curtain on arena
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Oct 8, 2011
Facing a room full of angry property owners andresidents, Allentown City Council members endured three hours of fiercecriticism in May as they debated whether to allow the city to use eminentdomain to make way for a downtown hockey arena…

For 50 years now Centralia, Pennsylvania has burned fromunderground mine fire
examiner.com- Oct 8, 2011
…In 1992, all propertiesin Centralia were claimed under eminent domain by the Commonwealth ofPennsylvania. Every home and building was condemned. Centralia’s zip code wasrevoked in 2002…

2011-10-07T09:03:00.003-04:00

American Parkway Bridge effort advancing
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Oct 4, 2011
…Owners of two properties needed for the project have yetto sign on, pushing the city to file eminent domain proceedings against one andwielding the threat of future proceedings against the other…

2011-10-03T09:22:00.000-04:00

Basins nearly complete to reduce flooding in New Kensington area
Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum, PA – Oct 2, 2011
No arks are in the works for flood control projects in NewKensington, Export and Tarentum; however, plans to dredge a portion of BullCreek in Tarentum are on hold until Allegheny County completes eminent domainto take over land once owned by prominent 1800s businessman Felix Negley…

2011-09-29T17:01:00.003-04:00

McKeesport Area plans topursue eminent domain
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Sep 29, 2011
…The owner ofthe Bucks Property, Robert DeTorre, is opposed to the district taking the landby eminent domain. Several speakers supported him at the hearing...

2011-09-28T09:54:00.000-04:00

Commissionhears plans for auto-parts store
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Sep 28, 2011
…The building where the store is now, 702 S. Center St., will bedemolished by the state for a project to rehabilitate the bridge. Officialssaid the state used eminent domain to acquire the property along with a houseacross the street…

2011-09-26T11:16:00.003-04:00

York County firm pitches $7 billion Alabama toll road
York Daily Record, York, PA – Sep 25, 2011
…"As a private company, they couldn't condemn or use eminentdomain unless they had an agreement in place with the local and stategovernment," Harris said. "(Mathias) doesn't have thoseagreements."…

Inergy Lines UpCongressmen and Senators to Fight Locals for NY Gas Storage-TransportationNetwork
DC Bureau, Washington, DC - Sep 23, 2011
…Thirty-five Pennsylvania state representatives supported EPA’sstance in a letter to FERC. They noted that FERC’s final approval would clearthe way for Inergy to use eminent domain to seize land in the pipeline’s path…

2011-09-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

Hazle Twp. supersapprove land sale
The Standard Speaker, Hazleton, PA – Sep 23, 2011
The HazleTownship supervisors sold some of the land acquired through eminent domain afew years ago while securing property for Hazle Township Boulevard...

2011-09-22T13:08:00.005-04:00

Third McKeesport school to cost $31.7 million
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Sep 22, 2011
…The school is planned for a26-acre parcel known as the Bucks Property that is adjacent to Penn State'sGreater Allegheny campus. The district does not own the property but plans totake it through the eminent domain process...

2011-09-21T10:12:00.000-04:00

Strip receives keydesignation
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA – Sep 21, 2011
…Planning commissionersapproved the certification under the condition that neither the city nor any ofits agencies, such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, would use or allow theuse of eminent domain to take property for development...

2011-09-20T13:27:00.000-04:00

$2G and analley settle road fight
The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA – Sep 20, 2011
…Calvin andRosanna Martin claimed the district took away the only access to the East MainStreet rental home they purchased in 2006, without pursuing the matter throughthe Eminent Domain Act…

2011-09-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh seeking newways to keep up with number of vacant properties
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Sep 18, 2011
…Allegheny County, throughits Vacant Property Program, helps municipalities, community developmentcorporations and others take ownership of vacant tax-delinquent property byflexing the eminent domain-like authority it has under the state's Urban RedevelopmentAuthority law…

PaloAlto takes possession of 'deplorable' property
Republican & Herald, Pottsville, PA – Sep 17, 2011
…In a declaration oftaking filed in Schuylkill County Court, the borough took the property at 19 E.Savory St. by using its power of eminent domain…

2011-09-16T11:51:00.000-04:00

Boardgives 60 days for blighted properties

Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Sep 16, 2011

…The owners, who did not attend the hearing, now have 60 days tofix up the place or get a rehabilitation agreement with the city. If they missthat deadline, the committee can go a step further, certifying the property asblighted. That gives the city the right to take it by eminent domain…

2011-09-15T11:20:00.001-04:00

Monroeville authority dismisses housing rumors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Sep 15, 2011
…Tom Wilson, chairman of theRedevelopment Authority, said during Tuesday's council meeting that rumors theauthority sought to bring in subsidized housing and use eminent domain toacquire properties are false…

2011-09-13T09:24:00.000-04:00

Marcellus firm Laser doesn't want to be a utility anymore, but Peregrine does
Pittsburgh Business Times, PA – Sep 13, 2011
…The withdrawal, on Sept. 8, follows a year and a half of vehement opposition from 1. other pipeline operators who worry that granting utility status would also throw them under the authority of the Public Utility Commission, and 2. citizens and group who don't want the company to have eminent domain authority...

Gas pipeline firm in Pa. pulls utility application
The Times-Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA (Associated Press) – Sep 12, 2011
...Laser's application also stirred up concern from some residents in northern Pennsylvania that the case would open the door to allowing pipeline companies to condemn private property. Public utilities have the ability to go to court to seek eminent domain on private property...

2011-09-12T09:53:00.001-04:00

Township to pursue historic designation for Red Rose Inn
Daily Local News, West Chester, PA – Sep 12, 2011
…The township is in the process of taking ownership of the property through eminent domain, and township officials may face appeals before they have a clear title in hand…

Erie housing coalition begins fight against blight
Erie Times-News, Erie, PA –Sep 10, 2011
…"Every property is different," said Rich Bertges, the development director for the Erie Redevelopment Authority, which can, in some cases, take land through eminent domain. "Every property brings a different problem to the table."…

2011-09-09T13:21:00.000-04:00

Legislators eye pipeline safety issue
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA – Sep 9, 2011
…Critics of PUC involvement have said it could open the door to give eminent domain rights to pipeline companies or to subject them to rate regulation...

Allentown claims 2nd property for arena
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Sep 8, 2011
…the city moved Wednesday to condemn the historic Dime Savings and Trust property. The city has said the building at 12 N. Seventh St., which appears on the National Register of Historic Places, may be incorporated into the arena's façade…

2011-09-06T11:35:00.000-04:00

State Condemning, Taking Land To Rebuild 422 Bridges
The Sanatoga Post, Sanatoga, PA – Sep 6, 2011
Attention, Mr. and Mrs. Unknown. Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is preparing to take your property in Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township under an eminent domain proceeding and use it for partial reconstruction next year of U.S. Route 422, unless you object by Oct. 3 (2011)…

2011-09-05T12:48:00.001-04:00

Hard-to-reach utility poles can delay getting the power back on; moving them wouldn't be easy
York Daily Record, York, PA – Sep 4, 2011
…Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission spokeswoman Jennifer Kocher said the commission would have to issue a declaration of public need before a company could use eminent domain. The county Common Pleas Court would have to officially grant the eminent domain, and if it did, would determine fair compensation for the property owner.

New Harrisburg improvement project costs $9 million
ABC27 News, WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA – Sep 3, 2011
…The project started back in 2001 and stalled five years later due to design changes and battles over eminent domain. But now the money is secured and the project is ready to begin…

Photo show in Blairstown documents abandoned Tocks Island Dam project's legacy
Warren Reporter, NJ – Sep 2, 2011
…The lake would be 40 miles long, covering land in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It would be the largest dam east of the Mississippi River. Mostly using the powers of eminent domain and condemnation, the government acquired some 72,000 acres, with little concern about the displaced property owners. In the process, towns, homes, farms and human lives were destroyed…

City files first eminent domain claim for proposed arena
69 News, WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA – Sep 2, 2011
The city of Allentown has filed its first eminent domain claim to make way for the planned hockey arena at 7th and Hamilton streets…

Demolition to clear arena space to begin in November
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Sep 1, 2011
…And while Frank said he expects several others to agree soon, the city has sent a clear message on what will happen if they don't. Last week, the city filed its first eminent domain claim for the project against a New York City investment group that owns 719 Hamilton St…

Blog – Jacqueline S. Homan: Another Charlatan Exposed: Eugene Strong and the McKees Rocks Mounds
AlterNet.org – Sep 1, 2011
…The Seneca that once lived in that region had to be relocated to Salamanca, New York after their reserve in western Pennsylvania was flooded and taken by eminent domain for the construction of the Kinzua Dam. They are the closest “culturally affiliated” and federally recognized tribe that would be the ones connected with the McKees Rocks Mounds…

2011-09-01T09:18:00.002-04:00

Allegheny County prepared to snag Negley family property
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA – Sep 1, 2011
Saying they can't find legal heirs to the property, Allegheny County officials are preparing to take by eminent domain the remnants of property in Tarentum that belonged to a member of one of Pittsburgh's most prominent families, the Negleys...

New city zoning may jump-start West Springettsbury Avenue college housing project
York Daily Record, York, PA – Aug 31, 2011
…The historic duplex adjacent to the York College campus had a leaking roof, rotten deck, drooping ceilings and a crumbling foundation, city officials argued at the time. They moved quickly to certify the property as blighted and seized it via eminent domain…

2011-08-29T14:29:00.000-04:00

Mount Wolf sportsmen's club seeks ag security status
York Dispatch,York, PA – Aug 27, 2011
…Property owners will be protected from nuisance lawsuits, such as people complaining about farm smells, Pam Shellenberger, chief of the county's long range program, said. It will also give the property owner protection from eminent domain…

PUC is expected to grant Laser utility status
The Times-Tribune, Scranton,PA – Aug 26, 2011
The Public Utility Commission rejected requests to reconsider granting utility status and eminent domain authority to a local natural gas collection and gathering company...

Editorial: Must target tax delinquents
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA – Aug 26, 2011
…State Rep. John Taylor (R., Phila.) is pushing the necessary state authorizing legislation. Land banks would be voluntary arrangements, and they would not have the power of eminent domain…

2011-08-25T12:10:00.000-04:00

EPA meets with Pa. residents over drilling fears
PittsburghTribune-Review, PA (Associated Press) – Aug 25, 2011
…Scroggins, a resident of one of the townships through which the pipeline will run, is among the parties formally opposing Laser's effort to secure public utility status for the pipeline. That would give the company the power of eminent domain over private property...

Easton targets first six vacant buildings
The Express-Times, Easton, PA – Aug 24, 2011
…If violations are not remedied, the buildings can be certified as blighted, allowing the redevelopment authority to take the properties through eminent domain…

2011-08-22T12:17:00.000-04:00

69 News week in review
WFMZ-TV69, Allentown, PA – Aug 20, 2011
…Mayor Pawlowski said the sale of some of the properties is more difficult because the owners live out of state. He said the city may use eminent domain to acquire them…

Lawsuits flow over Texas pipelines
The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY – Aug 19, 2011
…Condemnation suits have jumped in other communities where energy companies have ramped up production, increasing demand for pipelines. Pipeline companies in Pennsylvania filed 61 lawsuits in 2009 compared with 16 in 2008, according to federal court records, as producers unlocked greater volumes of natural gas from the rock layer known as the Marcellus shale…

Allentown authority takes out $35 million credit line for arena
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Aug 18, 2011
…Mayor Ed Pawlowski has said the 8,500-seat arena for the minor league Phantoms will help transform Allentown's struggling downtown. He has notified property owners in its path that if they don't accept the city's offer for their property, the city would have to take their land by eminent domain…

Some residents unhappy with new York Township map
York Daily Record, York, PA – Aug 18, 2011
…Another township resident objected to language in the official map ordinance. It states that "the township can use eminent domain to take the land," John Bowders said…

2011-08-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

Mayor: Hockey arena headed for downtown Allentown
WFMZ-TV69,Allentown, PA – Aug 17, 2011
…The only question now is how many businesses will face a judge due to eminent domain?...

Property owner opts out of arena financing district
The Morning Call,Allentown, PA – Aug 17, 2011
…The city initially targeted Schneider's land for the hockey arena. That wasn't good for his business, either, Schneider said. Several of his tenants departed for new locations, expecting the city to use eminent domain to take the property…

New pipelines in the works for Marcellus Shale
York Dispatch, York, PA (Associated Press) – Aug 17, 2011
…The projects are already employing thousands of contract workers and bringing work to steel mills, welders, gravel quarries and landscapers. At the same time, they are generating concerns about air and water pollution and eminent domain issues…

2011-08-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

Lunch prices going up 25 cents
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Aug 16, 2011
…The land will be taken by eminent domain and will not affect the parking lot or building, he said…

2011-08-08T11:46:00.000-04:00

Gas land pooling discussion revived in Harrisburg
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Aug 7, 2011
…Mr. Everett said he was the subject of severe backlash from those who viewed the policy as an eminent-domain procedure for private companies…

Times In-Depth: Erie's endless fight against blight
Erie Times-News, PA – Aug 7, 2011
…The program identifies problem properties and attempts to get the owner to fix up the mess. If city officials can't find the owner, or the owner won't respond, the city attempts to obtain the property through eminent domain, with the hope of eventually getting the property razed or in the hands of a new owner who will repair it…

Allentown's goal: Avoid eminent domain
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Aug 6, 2011
…Four months later, as challenges to the city's eminent domain filings slogged their way through the legal system, an exasperated Mayor Sal Panto Jr. asked the city's attorneys how much longer the court wrangling could take. Quite a while, they told him...

Seizing of Brownsville land parcels ruled OK
The Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA – Aug 6, 2011
…A Fayette County judge has ruled against an Allegheny County developer who claimed he suffered economic harm by the taking of some of his Brownsville properties through eminent domain…

2011-08-03T07:39:00.000-04:00

Covington mulling legal options over proposed power line project
The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA – Aug 3, 2011
…Eminent domain could be involved, but company officials have said they will negotiate with landowners on acquiring easements for the power line…

Next step in middle school renovation: Eminient domain
Williamsport Sun-Gazette, PA – Aug 3, 2011
…the Williamsport Area School Board approved in a 7-0 vote the authorization to proceed with eminent domain proceedings to obtain ownership of the property…

2011-08-01T11:13:00.000-04:00

Editorial: Marcellus commission leaves door open on impact fee, pooling
The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA – Jul 31, 2011
…The take-away on pooling, however, is the “eminent domain/property rights” argument that has dominated the debate thus far might be off the mark…

Opinion – Eric Epstein: 'Forced pooling' is corporate socialism
York Daily Record, PA – Jul 29, 2011
…The Pennsylvania Eminent Domain Code is commonly known as the Property Rights Protection Act (2006). The PRPA specifically provides that the exercise by a condemning authority to take privately-owned property by eminent domain for use by private enterprises is prohibited, except for certain limited exceptions that primarily pertain to blighted property…

2011-07-25T09:52:00.000-04:00

Arena area land owners feel frozen out
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jul 24, 2011
…Still, Pawlowski said any owner who does not agree to sell will force the city to file eminent domain papers against the property. Asked when that would happen, Pawlowski would only say "soon."…

George: Governor’s Shale Commission falls short of responsibilities
gantdaily.com, Clearfield, PA – Jul 23, 2011
…George remains adamant that the right of a landowner to lease – or not lease – his or her land must be protected, and he opposes any policy that allows eminent domain to be declared on a landowner….

Shale panel offers blueprint for future
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Jul 23, 2011
…"It's eminent domain, and you really have to have incredibly strong reasons to impose eminent domain," Mr. Costa said…

Land sale raises thorny issue
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA - Jul 23, 2011
…And that, Mary Harris says, is where the trouble all began, leading up to now, when a portion of the Harris land is in an eminent domain proceeding with Bear Creek Township…

Safeguards ensure eminent domain fair
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Jul 23, 2011
…But the Philadelphia-based attorney, who represents both plaintiffs and defendants in eminent domain proceedings, said U.S. law recognizes the need for government entities to sometimes have the ability take property against someone’s will…

2011-07-20T13:01:00.002-04:00

Editorial: No forced pooling
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA – Jul 20, 2011
…"I do not believe in private eminent domain, and forced pooling would be exactly that," he told an industry gathering in April, according to ProPublica…

2011-07-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

Bethlehem steps up fight against blight
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jul 17, 2011
…That property along with five others received the blight designation last month, a necessary step if the city's Redevelopment Authority is to take control of the property through eminent domain. It's the most property the city has designated as blighted in recent memory…

Trade association asks PUC to reconsider public utility status
The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Jul 16, 2011
…The determination of utility status would expose pipeline companies to an additional layer of regulation, but also give the companies the right to condemn property by eminent domain, a contentious issue in areas of Marcellus Shale drilling...

2011-07-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

EPA questions need for gas line through Pa. forest
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA (Associated Press) – Jul 14, 2011
…Central New York Oil and Gas Company LLC is seeking regulatory approval to use eminent domain, if necessary, to acquire land for its MARC 1 pipeline in Bradford, Sullivan and Lycoming counties…

2011-07-14T10:58:00.000-04:00

Team 4: City Taking Longtime Business With Eminent Domain
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA – Jul 13, 2011
…The city's Municipal Authority has a pumping station next door to the welding shop, but that station isn't big enough to handle the needs of a $60 million expansion, and the authority is taking the welding shop by eminent domain...

2011-07-13T17:18:00.000-04:00

Mirabito voices opposition to eminent domain without environmental assessment
NorthcentralPA.com, Williamsport, PA – Jul 13, 2011
…"The company is seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which will give it eminent domain. We have asked FERC to look at the cumulative environmental impacts…

2011-07-11T09:34:00.000-04:00

July 21 Webinar to Focus on Natural Gas Pipelines
GantDaily.com, Clearfield, PA – Jul 11, 2011
…“Many people are concerned about eminent domain as it relates to pipelines,” he said. “In reality the type of pipeline — whether it’s a gathering line or an interstate transmission line — will determine who provides regulatory oversight and whether eminent domain is possible.”…

Mount Rose makeover means businesses must move out
York Daily Record, York, PA – Jul 9, 2011
…PennDOT will negotiate with the property owners. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the state could file to take the property by eminent domain….

Editorial: Trenton officials should court Adirondack Phantoms to replace Trenton Devils hockey team
The Times, Trenton, NJ – Jul 8, 2011
…Those plans have stalled, and Allentown is now resorting to eminent domain to obtain the downtown property for the arena, a process that could take years. Allentown officials have already acknowledged that a new arena would open in 2013 at the earliest…

2011-07-08T17:28:00.000-04:00

Metering station is going up north
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Jul 8, 2011
…Dickinson said the company aims to minimize threats to public safety and damage to the environment while choosing its routes and project sites, in addition to finding landowners to work with because the company does not have the power of eminent domain in Pennsylvania…

2011-07-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Hockey arena site forces day-care center to find new home
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jul 5, 2011
…With Allentown threatening to acquire properties for the project through eminent domain, building owner Marian Rush said she has a contract to sell the building to the city for an undisclosed amount…

Editorial: YDR Opinion: The I-83 strip tease
York Daily Record, York, PA – Jul 5, 2011
…There will be a price to pay. But in the cause of safety, those costs, in higher taxes and loss of land through the proper use of eminent domain, are easily justified…

4th July Fireworks 2011 Live Stream, Point State Park web cam feed
Westmoreland Times, Greensburg, PA – Jul 2, 2011
…Point State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 36 acres (150,000 m2) in Downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, forming the Ohio River. Built on land acquired via eminent domain from industrial enterprises in the 1950s…

2011-07-01T12:13:00.002-04:00

Analysis: U.S. shale gas sector girds for next battle: pipeline
Reuters – Jul 1, 2011
…The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, if it comes down to it, can always employ eminent domain to lay pipelines, if getting gas to market is deemed in the greater public interest, analysts say…

2011-06-30T09:30:00.002-04:00

Penn Twp. has novel strategy to save Red Rose Inn
The Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA – Jun 30, 2011
…On June 15, the board approved a resolution to take the property through eminent domain. A fair market value will be determined and paid to the current owner…

2011-06-29T11:19:00.000-04:00

URA executive decries eminent domain for Strip District
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Jun 29, 2011
…At stake in the briefing were business owners and residents' concerns that, with the new certification, property developers hungry to seize valuable real estate could use an old statute to have properties declared condemned and snatch them up via eminent domain…

Eminent domain likely out in Strip
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA – June 29, 2011
Development in the city's Strip District will not be able to use eminent domain once city council adopts a resolution certifying a 75-acre area for renewal, officials said on Tuesday...

City to ensure eminent domain not used in Strip
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Jun 28, 2011
…Act 35, passed in 2006, Mr. Svoboda explained, prohibits the use of eminent domain in such redevelopment areas. But to the best of his knowledge, he said, no case has established the precedent that developers still would be prohibited from attempting to use an older, still-standing law...

Borough Threatens To Take Pizza Shop To Build Walkway
69News, WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA – Jun 28, 2011
…The borough is using eminent domain to acquire Fleetwood Pizza. On Tuesday, June 14, Hoimes said she received a letter from the borough's attorneys offering her $183,000 for the fair market value of the property…

Simple but significant: Artist's impressions of $50m memorial for victims of Flight 93
The Daily Mail, London, UK – Jun 28, 2011
…They and the families spent years arguing over the sale. In 2008 the federal government weighed in threatening to use eminent domain to take the land...

2011-06-27T09:42:00.000-04:00

Last breaker standing
The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Jun 26, 2011
…Luzerne County commissioners tried to take the property by eminent domain in January 2007, but had to drop it in January 2009 because they didn't have the money…

2011-06-24T09:21:00.000-04:00

PPL selects possible routes for Northeast-Pocono power line; sets public hearings
The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA – Jun 24, 2011
…With PUC approval also comes the right to condemn land by eminent domain, which would initiate a judicial process in which the value of the easement is set. That power is controversial, but Mr. Wirth said the company doesn't anticipate having to use it...

2011-06-20T09:45:00.000-04:00

'Work Orders': Vandals tried to knock porch off Erie home
Erie Times-News, PA – Jun 19, 2011
…The property -- a four-bedroom house and a detached garage, which also is damaged -- was declared blighted in October 2009. That's the first step in taking it by eminent domain.…

Two buildings being spared hockey's hit
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jun 17, 2011
…With the city aggressively working to buy 33 other properties in the path of the arena, and threatening to use eminent domain to take possession if the owners don't agree to sell, news that Farr is being spared troubles some…

2011-06-17T09:32:00.002-04:00

Photos help city get blight angle on dilapidated properties
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Jun 17, 2011
…The owners of blighted properties have 60 days to correct problems. If not the city can take the properties by eminent domain.

2011-06-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

Lancaster County targets downtown blight
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA – Jun 15, 2011
…Only after exhausting all efforts in that avenue will the Reinvestment Board declare a property as chronically blighted, which then opens the door for the authority to take it by eminent domain...

Opinion - Kevin F. Flemming: Hockey complex necessary to boost downtown Allentown
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jun 15, 2011
Although the use of eminent domain to support development projects is controversial, in the case of the Allentown hockey arena project it's a legitimate strategy…

2011-06-15T11:46:00.000-04:00

Agreement reached on Hamburg site
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Jun 15, 2011
…The borough then filed a complaint in Berks County Court seeking a court order to enter the property through eminent domain…

2011-06-14T13:06:00.003-04:00

Frackville council approves bid for demolition at January fire site
The Republican-Herald, Pottsville, PA – Jun 14, 2011
…Semanchik asked for permission to obtain the property at 530 W. Howard St. through the eminent domain code to condemn the property for the demolition. Borough council granted the permission, along with making the arrangements for the property transfers on the other four homes…

2011-06-13T10:54:00.002-04:00

Wyoming County to update rules for natural-gas pipelines
The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA – Jun 13, 2011
…In some states, but not Pennsylvania, natural gas companies have the power of eminent domain to run pipelines. That might change, and if it does, it could affect local ordinances...

2011-06-08T11:09:00.000-04:00

Allentown property owners holding out on deal to clear way for hockey arena
The Express-Times, Easton, PA – June 8, 2011
…Despite these fears, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski said that he does not believe the negotiation process is over and that eminent domain will only be used if it is the last resort…

Opinion- Paul Carpenter: In Pennsylvania, freedom's just another word …
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – June 7, 2011
…On the other hand, it said, "The state's homeschool laws are perhaps the worst in the country," and "eminent domain has been partially reformed [tell that to people being kicked out of their property to make way for a hockey arena in Allentown], but asset-forfeiture law is quite bad."…

2011-06-03T12:57:00.002-04:00

Editorial: I-83 needs a redesign
York Daily Record, PA – Jun 3, 2011
…Our community needs to be willing to pay some prices for this. That includes the loss of land through eminent domain and higher taxes…

2011-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:00

Opinion – Michael Molovinsky: Eminent domain would rip out downtown Allentown's heart
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jun 1, 2011
…While other cities have prospered from their history, we can't wait to tear down the heart of our downtown — by eminent domain. I say no thank you.

2011-05-31T09:10:00.000-04:00

Bethlehem planners sign off on zoning overhaul
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – May 30, 2011
…If no action is taken, he said, the city could acquire the properties through eminent domain, offering owners the appraised value of the homes. The city could then sell the homes.

2011-05-26T10:43:00.000-04:00

Hamburg, railroad at odds over access to land
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – May 26, 2011
…Guidelines on the company website state that the borough would have to submit plans to the railroad, get a license and entry permit and pay $1,600 to enter. Hamburg officials, however, argue that by right of eminent domain there is no need for the borough to comply with the guidelines…

Some property owners unhappy with offer for arena space
69 News, WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA – May 25, 2011
…It all depends how much the businesses will get if they are bought by the city of Allentown through the use of eminent domain…

Abington Township relinquishes eminent domain over Easton Road property
Montgomery News, Fort Washington, PA – May 25, 2011
Abington Township filed to relinquish power of eminent domain over the property on 1180 Easton Road after a May 12 board of commissioners vote. The township planned to convert the long-vacant building into the new Roslyn Branch Library…

2011-05-25T10:59:00.000-04:00

Ford City to go after owners of unsightly properties
Valley News Dispatch, Tarentum, PA – May 25, 2011
…Borough solicitor Frank Wolfe said the act allows municipalities to go after the financial assets of those who allow their properties to fall into disrepair. He added that the borough could take properties by eminent domain if they are deemed to be blighted...

2011-05-23T12:21:00.001-04:00

Your comments: Use of eminent domain for Allentown hockey arena is bad idea
Lehighvalleylive.com – May 23, 2011
Allentown's proposed arena for a minor league hockey league team looks to be headed downtown. The city council voted 6-1 last Wednesday to proceed with eminent domain if needed to clear the way for the arena…

2011-05-20T17:42:00.001-04:00

PUC gives nod to eminent domain power for pipeline company
The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA – May 20, 2011
The state Public Utility Commission intends to declare natural gas pipeline company Laser Northeast Gathering a public utility, giving it the power to condemn private property by eminent domain...

Pipeline’s status returned to courts
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA –May 20, 2011
…Laser is seeking a certificate of public convenience as a public utility for natural gas gathering pipelines in Susquehanna County, which could allow the company to acquire property for its transmission lines by claiming eminent domain…

11 more city properties placed on blighted list
The Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – May 20, 2011
…Under that determination, if property owners don't repair them or get a rehab agreement in 60 days, the committee can take one further step - certifying them as eligible for the city to take them by eminent domain, if necessary…

Purchase of right of way nears
The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA – May 19, 2011
…Both plans call for taking the rights of way under eminent domain purchase, and both require the removal of at least one locust tree that supervisor Mary Lou Pierce-McLain said she would hate to remove…

2011-05-19T12:57:00.000-04:00

Allentown council authorizes use of eminent domain for hockey arena if needed
The Express-Times, Easton, PA – May 19, 2011
Despite public opposition, city council voted 6-1 Wednesday night to proceed with eminent domain if necessary to bring a hockey arena downtown. Residents and property owners lined up to slam the city's plans...

Arena plan wins face-off
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – May 18, 2011
…A parade of downtown merchants, their attorneys and supporters laid into city officials, saying their heavy-handed efforts to pressure them into selling their properties under threat of eminent domain to make way for a hockey arena would kill their livelihoods…

Mayor Wants Eminent Domain As An Option For Hockey Arena Project
69 News, WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA – May 18, 2011
…Despite their comments, the council passed the resolution 6-1 allowing the city to use eminent domain as a last resort to claim the downtown properties…

Hockey Arena May Shut Down Businesses
myfoxphilly.com – May 18, 2011
…But that means Allentown would have to use eminent domain to get rid of 30 properties, many of them belonging to long-time business owners…

2011-05-18T10:06:00.001-04:00

Mayor: Arena equals a 'new Allentown'
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – May 17, 2011
…The mayor's offer of a fair price and help to relocate came one day before City Council is expected to approve a resolution allowing the city to claim eminent domain against any owners who don't accept the city's offer…

Allentown pursues negotiations, considers eminent domain where hockey arena is planned - UPDATE
The Express-Times, Easton, PA – May 17, 2011
The city of Allentown has decided downtown is the best place for a new minor league hockey arena and plans to pursue taking properties through eminent domain if owners are unwilling to move out for a fair price, officials said today…

City Wants To Put Arena Downtown; Some Business Owners Unhappy
69 News, WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA – May 17, 2011
…"We will be presenting a resolution to city council tomorrow that give us the ability to do eminent domain if we have to," said Pawlowski, who added that half the 33 property owners have agreed to sell…

2011-05-16T10:03:00.000-04:00

News In brief
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA – May 16, 2011
…Concerns include polluted water supplies, toxic waste, radioactive mud, dirty air, depleted water habitat, noise, eminent domain…

Blake supporting utility status for pipeline company
The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA – May 14, 2011
State Sen. John Blake is urging members of the Public Utility Commission to grant utility status to Laser Northeast Gathering, a controversial move that would give the shale gas pipeline company the authority of eminent domain, or condemning private land for company use…

Allentown businesses ready to fight arena project
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – May 13, 2011
…After meeting privately Friday, several merchants said they've decided to hire an attorney to fight the city's plan to claim eminent domain on their properties. Their move comes after city officials gave them until Tuesday to decide to sell and until Sept. 15 to vacate their businesses…

2011-05-09T09:30:00.002-04:00

DuBois City Council approves subdivision, land development plan
The Progress, Clearfield, PA – May 6, 2011
…Offending parties would still be notified of delinquency via a certified letter/registered mail, but the new bill gives officials the right to extradite out-of-state individuals back to Pennsylvania to face charges at the magistrate. The bill also lends more clout to code enforcement on eminent domain issues…

2011-05-02T09:23:00.000-04:00

Editorial: Gas legislation must appease 3 masters
The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, PA – May 1, 2011
…Gov. Tom Corbett says he opposes forced pooling. He told a drilling industry gathering in Pittsburgh on Tuesday that forced pooling is tantamount to private eminent domain and that he doesn’t agree with it….

State postpones Marcellus gas transporter’s bid for utility status
The Pike County Courier, Milford, PA – Apr 29, 2011
…As a utility, Laser Marcellus would have the power to take private property by eminent domain…

YDR Opinion: White roses and thorns
York Daily Record, York, PA – Apr 29, 2011
…Roses also to the governor taking a stand against "forced pooling," which would allow drillers to claim gas rights from property owners via a form of eminent domain…

2011-04-29T10:22:00.000-04:00

Fayette nixes zoning change at ex-Brownsville hospital
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA – Apr 29, 2011
…Vicites said the county must first determine whether the site is subject to restrictions under the state's Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act. That act allowed for the acquisition of land through eminent domain, but prohibits its use for anything other than recreation, conservation or historical purposes…

Scarnati makes a pitch for Marcellus fee
Pittsburgh Business Times, PA – Apr 28, 2011
…Democratic Rep. Frank Dermody released a statement denouncing the proposal and making a curious link between Scarnati’s designation of the PUC as the administrative agency in charge and the right of eminent domain…

2011-04-27T13:31:00.002-04:00

Corbett says he opposes 'forced pooling'
Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA (Associated Press) – Apr 27, 2011
… "Forced pooling" is tantamount to private eminent domain, and he doesn't agree with it, Corbett told the seminar crowd in suburban Pittsburgh, which is fast becoming a hub for multinational energy companies exploring the Marcellus and Utica shales beneath Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia…

2011-04-26T09:20:00.000-04:00

It’s your common creek
NewtownPatch--Apr 26, 2011
…It also serves as a quasi-memorial to lifelong Newtown resident Barbara Swayze’s dog, Laddie. Swayze’s family lived in the house there and had buried the beloved pet in the spot before the state took the land by eminent domain for the marker…

2011-04-25T09:20:00.000-04:00

Municipalities have new tools to fight blight
Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Apr 25, 2011
…This 2006 law allows municipalities to use their eminent domain powers to take over a blighted property if the owner doesn't follow codes. The city's Blighted Property Review Committee already uses this law…

Vacant Swell Plant At Center Of Lawsuit
Vending Times, Rockville Centre, NY – Apr 24, 2011
… The 200,000-sq.ft. building, which has been empty for eight years, was acquired by the township in March 2009 for $1.26 million through its power of eminent domain. The Fenimore family appealed the final price, and on March 23 a court-appointed Board of View agreed and ordered the township to pay the family $6 million, six times the initial price…

Board certifies 10 city properties as blighted
Reading Eagle, Reading, PA – Apr 23, 2011
…If a property remains blighted the city can take it by eminent domain…

2011-04-22T14:07:00.001-04:00

Steelton's revival continues
The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA – Apr 22, 2011
…Two neighboring properties under the same ownership are being sought through eminent domain, Mayor Tom Acri said…

2011-04-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

Businesses in arena's path get some answers from city
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Apr 19, 2011
…The meeting came after weeks during which, many of the business owners said, they've been "harassed'' by real estate agents and appraisers pressuring them to sell under the threat of eminent domain…

2011-04-19T10:49:00.000-04:00

Haverford appeals gum factory ruling
Delaware County Daily Times, Primos, PA – Apr 19, 2011
…In a report filed March 23, the court-appointed Board of View said the township low-balled Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corp. when it paid $1.26 million as just compensation for taking the site through eminent domain in March 2009, for purposes of constructing township and/or community facilities…

Allentown moves on hockey site
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Apr 18, 2011
…But a few weeks ago, Park learned his shop, Pinocchio's, may sit in the path of a proposed $80 million to $100 million hockey arena city officials are eyeing for center city. A real estate agent came by his business, he said, and began pressuring him to sell and threatening him with eminent domain…

2011-04-14T13:51:00.000-04:00

Haverford appeals millions owed for bubble gum factory property
The Delaware County Times, Primos, PA – Apr 14, 2011
…In a report filed March 23, the court-appointed Board of View said the township low-balled Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corporation when it paid $1.26 million as just compensation for taking the site through eminent domain in March 2009, for purposes of constructing township and/or community facilities…

Fairview residents who will lose land unhappy with Turnpike plan
The York Dispatch, York, PA – Apr 14, 2011
…That's the first time Theda Roat of Marsh Run Road learned time that the project would require a swath of land going about 80 feet into her property to be taken by eminent domain…

2011-04-06T11:03:00.000-04:00

City Howl Help Desk: Homeowner haunted by abandoned house in Francisville
Philadelphia Daily News, PA – Apr 6, 2011
...Allentown, for instance, gives property owners an ultimatum: Resolve your violations, or see properties certified as blighted. If that happens, the city's redevelopment authority can take properties by eminent domain and sell them to developers who promise to fix them up…

2011-03-31T12:08:00.000-04:00

Pipeline company makes bid to enter shale business
The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA – Mar 31, 2011
…But unlike Laser Marcellus Northeast, whose bid was rejected by an administrative law judge last year, Pentex Pipeline Co. won't have to fight for utility status and the right to condemn property via eminent domain - it already has it…

Banking on new home for police
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mar 31, 2011
…The county’s purchase of the bank building was controversial from the start because Vonderheid and Skrepenak had originally planned to lease the building for $2.58 million over 10 years. After a public outcry, they voted to pay $605,000 to purchase the property through eminent domain, but a court panel later ordered the county to pay $700,000…

County pays to settle dispute over 150 N. Queen
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA – Mar 30, 2011
…After the previous board of commissioners took 150 N. Queen St. by eminent domain in 2004, construction began early in 2007 and almost immediately was plagued with problems…

2011-03-28T09:29:00.000-04:00

A case for treatment
The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mar 27, 2011
…Contrary to rumors, the authority is not buying neighboring properties, and is not taking any of them "through eminent domain or condemnation or anything else," Minora said…

Gas pipeline worries still haunt some local residents
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mar 27, 2011
… “There are 33 miles of pipeline. We’ve worked with every land owner in building this pipeline,” he said. “We have no ability to enforce eminent domain, and every inch we’ve worked with folks of the community.”…

Though hard to believe, private transit was worse
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Mar 27, 2011
… Rail barons became so adept at seizing land through eminent domain, Mr. Sullivan says, that America gained a new verb, "to railroad,'' meaning to rush something through…

2011-03-24T10:07:00.000-04:00

Audit on CityVest expenditures sought
The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mar 24, 2011
…The city liens were filed to cover the city costs from demolishing dilapidated buildings on the Perry Block property. The city also initiated eminent domain proceedings to acquire the Kazimi parking lot for CityVest…

2011-03-23T10:15:00.000-04:00

Groups seek air base land
phillyBurbs.com, Levittown, PA – Mar 23, 2011
…The county's submission said it could work with the Montgomery County Transit Authority on a plan, revive the now-defunct Montgomery County Airport Authority or create a new authority, such as a "Montgomery County Development Authority to be created pursuant to the state's economic eminent domain law."…

Mayor presents new strategic plan for Lancaster city
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA – Mar 22, 2011
…• Voted to take by eminent domain a parking lot at 124 Crystal St. for use by Rodney Senior Center. The taking provides the city clear title to the property for its appraised value of $25,000. It is intended to allow the reuse of a paved portion of Rodney Park, where seniors now park their cars, as a children's play area…

2011-03-22T09:18:00.000-04:00

Company withdraws application for Cuffs Run hydropower project
York Daily Record, York, PA – Mar 21, 2011
…First proposed in 1990, a similar project would have flooded 300 acres of the 585-acre Girl Scout camp and displaced 25 homes. That project would have allowed the land to be taken by eminent domain…

2011-03-21T09:05:00.000-04:00

County on a building binge
Sunday News, Lancaster, PA – Mar 21, 2011
…In 2004, the county's most expensive building project of the decade commenced when former commissioners Dick Shellenberger, Pete Shaub and Molly Henderson voted to take by eminent domain the former Armstrong building at 150 N. Queen St. to serve as the county's government services center…

2011-03-17T12:45:00.002-04:00

Lancaster County sues 150 N. Queen St. contractor

Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA – Mar 16, 2011
…The former board of county commissioners in 2004 took the building at 150 N. Queen St. by eminent domain from its owner, Dr. Ira Trocki…

2011-03-16T09:48:00.000-04:00

Public meeting held for North Pocono powerline project

The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA – Mar 16, 2011
…As previously reported, officials say eminent domain proceedings are considered likely - unless all landowners agree to sell their properties - because it is an entirely new power pathway…

Haverford facing a sticky situation over gum factory
The Delaware County Daily Times, Primos, PA – Mar 16, 2011
…If the township fails in its appeal, it will owe the Fenimores $4.74 million, the difference between $6 million and $1.26 million, plus interest dating back to June 2009, which Snyder estimates at $300,000 to date, with potential for further increase. Eminent domain code provides interest on delayed compensation, Snyder said…

2011-03-09T10:16:00.000-05:00

City shakeup: Head of Allentown authority resigns
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Mar 8, 2011
…Under her direction, the agency did not shy from using eminent domain as a final tool to enforce the city's codes…

Proposed Susquehanna River water power project is revived
Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA – Mar 8, 2011
…When first proposed in 1990, the 1,320-acre Cuffs Run project would have flooded 300 acres of the 585-acre Girl Scout camp used by many Lancaster County residents and displaced 25 homes. If the project had been approved by FERC, the company would have been granted eminent domain powers…

2011-03-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Scranton residents want Harrison Ave. bridge fixed, but don't want to leave homes
The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA – Mar 8, 2011
…The spectre of having property taken has sparked fear among some, even though PennDOT officials say they have not determined which properties would be affected. Eminent domain, the agency says, would come into play only if negotiations to reach a settlement fail…

Logan Township property’s worth contested
Altoona Mirror, Altoona, PA – Mar 8, 2011
…An attorney representing the township on Monday told prospective jurors that the land was taken by eminent domain and that the question before the jury this week will be, "What is just compensation?"…