Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Danger of Land Banks

Last Week, we read about Land banks and had some personal experiences with one. This article is also about Land Banks, but the negative side of them.

What do you think of the article? Do you think this problem is common, or the exception to the norm? Do you agree with the point that the writer is making?
After reading this, what do you think about Land Banks? Has your opinion changed at all?


http://neighbornewspapers.com/stories/Land-Banks-Danger-to-Private-Property-Rights,171306?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=stories&town_id=&page=
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6 comments:

  1. RichardMay 12, 2011 at 5:28 AM

    i think when used properly, land banks are a great idea. The issue highlighted in the article has less to do with land banks themselves, and more to do with the misuse of eminent domain laws. I would think that the public would be most able to determine what is in their best interest. Kicking people out of their homes just for ezxtra tax revenue is wrong. I think what the Kzoo Land Bank is trying to do is much more reasonable, and will hopefully prove effective.

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  2. Liz VincensiMay 12, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    I agree that the points in this story aren't quite negatives on land banks but issues with local government abuses. When first reading about eminent domain though, I had a slightly fearsome feeling. When a government has the ability to seize property "for the common good", I worry. However, I feel that most local areas have enough policies and laws in place that misuse of the system is limited, and I still think that land banks are great opportunities to help out neighborhoods.

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  3. Alex Lloyd-EvansMay 12, 2011 at 9:43 AM

    Agreed, land banks are a very good idea in theory, there is just a lot of potential for them to be misused, either intentionally or by accident. This article was one example of how the structure around them can be used to support government abuses of power- the community needs to maintain a good level of activity in order to make the most of organizations like this.

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  4. AnonymousMay 12, 2011 at 9:45 AM

    I agree with Liz. I think that land banks are under enough supervision to be able to carry out programs correctly and help the community positively.

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  5. Liz VincensiMay 13, 2011 at 7:13 PM

    I think this article is less about the negatives of land banks and more about eminent domain abuses. When first reading about eminent domain I thought it sounded a little scary to me because it's so open ended, but generally it seems helpful. Land banks are one of the easiest ways for local governments to collect and reuse abandoned properties, it's just too bad that this happened to some people, but I don't think it's due to inherent issues with land banks.

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  6. Mark GhafariMay 15, 2011 at 11:38 AM

    My thoughts have not really changed after reading this article. My thought has always been if there are enough willing volunteers and resources to keep a land bank going then it will work. However that is a very hard thing to maintain. Also I do not think this problem is common and that it is just an exception to the norm.

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