September 27, 2026

eminent domain

In 1935, Melanchthon Cliser refused $4,855 for his 46-acre Virginia property; deputies handcuffed and evicted him, and he never cashed it as Shenandoah National Park took shape

In 1935, Melanchthon Cliser refused $4,855 for his 46-acre Virginia property; deputies handcuffed and evicted him, and he never cashed it as Shenandoah National Park took shape

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com09 mins

Cliser, flanked by Sheriff E L Lucas (left) and Deputy Claude Shaver (Photos: clisereviction/blogspot) In 1935, Melanchton Cliser and his family were forced out of their 46-acre property in Virginia as the state pushed ahead with plans for what would become Shenandoah National Park. Cliser owned the land along US 211 and also operated a…

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About 20 years ago, Dawn Robinson paid $40,000 for 2.4 acres in New Jersey; Middle Township later offered her $47,000 and is now trying to take the land for a 340-home project

About 20 years ago, Dawn Robinson paid $40,000 for 2.4 acres in New Jersey; Middle Township later offered her $47,000 and is now trying to take the land for a 340-home project

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com012 mins

In South Jersey’s Middle Township, a war goes on. The township has filed an eminent domain condemnation complaint that seeks to acquire 2.4 acres of land in Whitesboro for a large-scale housing development project. But the woman who owns the property, Dawn Robinson, does not want to give it up, according to a report by…

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In 1912, a Black couple bought California beachfront land and built a resort; the city seized it in the 1920s, and a century later their heirs got it back and sold it for nearly $20 million

In 1912, a Black couple bought California beachfront land and built a resort; the city seized it in the 1920s, and a century later their heirs got it back and sold it for nearly $20 million

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com08 mins

Charles and Willa Bruce on their wedding day (Left) and Margie Johnson and John Pettigrew in Manhattan Beach in 1927 (Right) A prime piece of Southern California oceanfront property taken from a Black couple through eminent domain a century ago was formally returned to their descendants and then sold back to Los Angeles County for…

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In 1983, an Atlantic City widow rejected $1 million for her home; in 1994, a state agency offered $251,250 and threatened eminent domain, but she ultimately won in court

In 1983, an Atlantic City widow rejected $1 million for her home; in 1994, a state agency offered $251,250 and threatened eminent domain, but she ultimately won in court

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com09 mins

“Individual freedom finds tangible expression in property rights.” Those words, written by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, capture a principle that lies at the heart of a free society. Yet across the country, that principle has often been tested, sometimes by powerful developers, sometimes by government agencies eager to serve private interests under the…

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