Loosing our home to the power company...

[MichiganWoods]

Wow. That's just.... insane. If we were being evicted like that, I'd get a pro-bono lawyer to represent me and the others and make sure the actual payment we received from the power company would more than replace everything physical that we'd built up there and more. Nothing can replace the sentimental value of a home, but I'd be darn if I let them run me out of my house without a fight.

 

[Jolyn]

Quote:
Me too!!!! It makes me want to

thinking that this can happen!!!!! I am very sorry!

 

[M@M@2four]

This is just SO upsetting!!! You have to be LIVID!!!! Fight them and if they are determined to take it, is there some way you can make them pay big for the land???? This is just heart-breaking!!!

 

[scooby]

that is just horrible, i dont think anyone should have that right to make you give up your home, just keep on fighting and dont give up hope...i wish they would stop choosing to build these things smack dab in the middle of homes.we (our community) have been fighting a coal plant that they literally want to put in our front yard less then 1/2 mile away from our home and like you the power isn't going to us but to other states infact our bills will go up and they arn't even going to buy our coal.... and this fight has been going on for 3 years, they collected signatures to put it on the november ballot, got it on there then a judge took our right to vote on it away and said basically we had no voice on the fact so now its going to the supreme court..... Keep fighting and do what you can and keep your head up!!!!

 

[PurpleChicken]

MudBaby, tie them up in court. Hire 10 lawyers. You will still lose your property but
walk away with enough cash to buy something MUCH bigger. The utilities have deep
pockets. I know this is very scary but you are smart enough to come out on top.

Play every card. The media, newspapers, politicians, etc...

I have complete faith you will make out ok with this.

Love Ya!!!!!!!

 

[derby]

I am so sorry for you. We are just across the river from you in MD. They have proposed 3 paths for the power lines here, but I don;t think they've finalized which way they are going yet.

Derby

 

[mudhen]

Thanks everyone.
Believe me, they won't take me without a fight.
BTW, any and all suggestions are appreciated.
I am making packets of information right now and plan to drive to each home and property affected along the path of destruction tomorrow. I'm going to rubber-band it to their door and hope to inform them to what is happening (in case they where as clueless as I was) and ask for their support.
I'm also including the candidates for office all across the county along with the incumbents in my letter writing campaign.
I heard that the path through MD was unlikely because it would cut through federal park land and be more expensive. Who knows.

As far as I am concerned, this isn't a NIMBY issue. (Not In My Back Yard). If the eastern seaboard needs more power, they should build their own plant.
Because New Jersey has stringent anti-pollution laws, it would be more expensive to build a clean power plant than to build a coal burning plant in WV and ship the power to NJ.
Because of antiquated thinking, people still believe WV is a coal producing state. It only employs about 20 thousand people in coal industry. PA and Ohio each have more than double that.
Unfortunate, but the industries in the politician's pockets, or, more correctly, the politicians in the industies' pockets keep this state an easy target for not only building another polluting coal burning plant, but also for trampling across the one county that provides the lion's share of taxes which support the entire state!

edited to add: un

 

[kodiakchicken]

mudhen,

Definitely fight this. A quick search of "right of eminent domain" on wikipedia showed that the Supreme Court has always upheld each state's right to define the use of eminent domain. So, it will depend on how WV defines the right to use eminent domain.

I then searched for WV right of eminent domain and found this link:

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/code.cfm?chap=54

This paragraph stands out to me:

"§54-1-1. Bodies which may exercise power of eminent domain.
The United States of America, the state of West Virginia, and every corporate body politic heretofore or hereafter created by the constitution or statutes of the state, and every corporation heretofore or hereafter organized under the laws of, or authorized to transact business in, the state, for any purpose of internal improvement for which private property may be taken or damaged for public use as authorized in section two of this article, shall have the right of eminent domain, and may exercise the same to the extent and in the manner provided in this chapter, and subject to the restrictions and limitations provided by law.

Specifically the part in bold. I don't understand legalese that well but could "internal improvement" mean only if the improvement is internal to the state of West Virginia? Hopefully someone else will be able to help with this.

Also focus on the definition of public. Since the supreme court recognizes the right of the state to define eminent domain, would it be for the benefit of the state's public, not that of another state?

Since this is a legislative issue, be sure to write to every incumbent on your ballot and let them know that if you don't see immediate support on this they will not receive your vote. Get them to take a stance. Even if they aren't up for reelection, it will take a couple years to build a line like this so you can go after those representatives that are up for re-election in a couple years. Let them know that they will lose your entire county's votes if they don't eliminate this threat.

Best of luck!!!!

 

[Jessika]

Keep your chin up! Sending well wishes!!

 

[Carolyn]

I longed for them to find some endangered tadpole or something in the lake area they a building near me. May you be so lucky!