The recent United States Supreme Court decision allowing municipalities to take private property for economic development is very controversial. In response, the New Hampshire Senate is forming a committee to study eminent domain law in New Hampshire and to recommend legislation to rein in the power of town and city government in taking private property.
Some of the most emotional cases that we lawyers work on involve real estate disputes. Often, these cases are even more volatile than divorce cases or criminal cases. People in New Hampshire take their land ownership very seriously, and any threat to that ownership can cause apprehension and anger. The New Hampshire Senate did the right thing in acting quickly to study this issue carefully to better understand any ramifications the Supreme Court’s decision may or may not have.
Jim
Dave