Eminent Domain
@nanette64 (20363)
Fairfield, Texas
July 6, 2019 12:21pm CST
Have you ever thought that once you paid off the loan/mortgage of your home that you 'own' that property and nobody can touch it? Even if your Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa owned it and passed it down to you? Nope; you don't own it. Even if taxes have been paid all along.
Do you know who actually owns it? According to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, the government owns it. Oh sure, you can sell it to somebody for the value of the property to get your money but if the government, county or city wants it; you can bet you'll barely get what it's worth.
If you refuse to sell to a governmental agency; for whatever purpose they are wanting it, and you do NOT accept the money they are offering, you will have 90 days to vacate the property before they come in and take over. And at that point, you get ZERO DOLLARS.
I've lived on my 20 acres for 22 years and if the city or county decided they wanted to build an airport on it (or whatever) and I didn't accept their offer; I'd be screwed and thrown off. Just something to consider.
9 people like this
9 responses
@rebelann (117199)
• El Paso, Texas
6 Jul 19
I've yet to see any homes for sale that include mineral rights @nanette64
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
7 Jul 19
@rebelann The rancher I once worked for had 2 wells on his property and he got a healthy check every month. The lucky booger. A lot of the land around here is owned by 2 families: the Moody's and the Ivy's. The Moody's definitely don't grant mineral rights. And why should they; they make millions from the oil companies. I'm not sure about the Ivy's though.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
6 Jul 19
You got that right @rebelann . It's bad enough a lot of oil companies have their towers close by. They only pay you a one-time amount for where they're gonna put a well (if you don't own the oil property rights).
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
7 Jul 19
It would tick me off. Even if they gave me what my property is worth, that would mean having to pack everything up and move; not to mention I'd have to find another property that I could keep the donkeys. And at 68 or older? What a pain in the a** @LadyDuck .
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502187)
• Italy
8 Jul 19
@nanette64 If they decide to build a road or something judged of "public interest" you cannot oppose the decision, you get the money and you move. I know it is a pain.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Jul 19
@LadyDuck And after being here this long? Geez!!!
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
7 Jul 19
yes ma'am, i lost 1/4 acre when the county figured to make huge ditches 'n chip seal our road. nope, not offered a penny fer such, they jest took 't. lost my front drive 'nless i wished to forks out the funds to've a bridge built o'er such...they cut so close to the folks 'cross the roads fences that all the posts started dippin' due to the soil erosion. nope, the county'd not offered to e'en split the cost 'f 'em movin' their fence.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
14 Jul 19
@nanette64 yes ma'am. pay yer taxes 'n then they take's they wish. i've a fence line that'd be 'hind my property line. when the ol' neighbors sold they fought me o'er such. 'twas put that way coz the county demanded such 's "county/emergency access". i bought 't, got'ta pay taxes'n 't, but can't use 't....
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
14 Jul 19
@crazyhorseladycx Oh yeah. I had to have a 10' leeway on 3 sides.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Jul 19
Yuppers; as 'supposed' land owners we can get screwed @crazyhorseladycx .
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jul 19
It seems very unfair that this can happen. Hopefully your land will never be needed by the government.
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
6 Jul 19
Oh yeah @paigea ; now that would be scary.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
6 Jul 19
Well crap (pun intended); I wouldn't want that either @CarolDM . A lot of people right now are trying to fight the train going from Dallas to Houston along I-45. Anybody that owns property along the route would have to take the money or else.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
6 Jul 19
This is sad,
Not the case in my country. We own our inheritance after taxes are settled.
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
6 Jul 19
You do have the right to challenge the government's valuation of your land and present your own assessment done by an independent assessor. Depending on what the land will be used for, you also have the right to challenge whether the use is allowable within the restrictions your state may have in its statutes regarding eminent domain. In most states, the land must be taken for a public purpose such as a hospital, school, roadway, airport, etc.
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
6 Jul 19
our house was paid off when I retired.Did not want mortage payment any more
