Seattle Washington not only is corrupt, but they are shameless as well for using Public Domain to steal the private property of an elderly citizen – and why? Seattle is allowing the Seattle Department of Transportation to steal the parking lot, in a prized location so the crooks who run Seattle could steal the property and all money that it generates from the eldery owner. Read the Original Notice Here
Corrupt Seattle WA Using Public Domain to Steal Parking Lot & Proceeds From Elderly Private Owner
This is not a blighted or run-down area. This is a big money making location, and the City of Seattle wants it, and plans on bullying a 103-year-old gentleman to steal it.
“under RCW 35.86.010 and RCW 35.86.030 the City has authority to acquire off-street parking facilities through negotiation, and if necessary, condemnation”
So, what they are saying is that, if the crooks that run Seattle can’t get your property through negotiations or acquisitions, then they will just condemn your property and then steal it out from underneath you.
Why can’t people park at the existing parking lot, and allow the owner of the property to collect the money he has earned, instead of the City of Seattle stealing the parking lot from the elderly owner, and then continue using the property as a parking lot?
This is crooked and wrong, and we would ask anyone that this pisses off to call the Seattle City Council and let them know how you feel.
Seattle City Council
600 4th Ave #2
Seattle, WA
(206) 684-8888
Seattle’s City Council voted unanimously Monday to use eminent domain to take private property. They say they must seize the private property, which is currently being used as a parking lot, in order to turn it into … a parking lot. (Here is the link to the original notice). Local Station Q13Foxnews discussed this story here.
In addition to eminent domain abuse, the City of Seattle has recently been in the news for hiding public records, and sinking the farm boat. The common thread among all three of these stories is that, in Seattle, central planning takes priority over people. In this case, they decided it was critically important to seize a parking lot from its 103-year-old owner so that it can be a parking lot. At least this is their stated justification.Public Benefit
Seattle has a history of complete and total incompetence in managing parking, well-documented at the Pacific Place parking garage. Instead of abusing eminent domain, the City Council should have passed a resolution that would prevent Seattle from ever getting into the parking business again. For people familiar with eminent domain abuse, however, this is just another example of how Big Government Central Planners use their power to crush the dreams and aspirations of the “little people.”
The desire of the Central Planners for control is once again permitted to outweigh the people’s need for government to make rational decisions that benefit taxpayers and citizens (Of course, the City of Seattle just banned using the term “Citizen”). In this case, a 103-year old lady’s property is slated to be taken “for the greater good.” Yet that “good” is really just the personal aspirations of city planners and officials.
As has been pointed out, the City of Seattle actually has plans to “redevelop” this property and turn it into a parking garage or mixed use development once the Viaduct is gone. Most observers believe that when Seattle’s Big Dig is done and the Viaduct construction is over (assuming this ever happens), this woman’s land will be prime real estate worth far more than what the City of Seattle will pay by seizing it now. This might be true (although the City wants us to believe there is nothing to see here), but the property owner appears to have a plan to donate this property to charity at the maximum value so that her desired charity will benefit:
“…Seattle is being impatient with Woldson (property owner), who he (Gary Beck, president of Republic Parking Northwest, which operates the parking lot) says plans to bequeath her lot to a charitable group.
“I will guarantee you,” he said, “that when Miss Woldson passes away, and whoever the beneficiary of this property is, they will sell and take the money.”
Beck said he understands the city wants this property, but wonders why it’s spending the money to force a sale, which is going to happen eventually…”
(Seattle Business Journal – “City of Seattle plays Darth Vader in propety fight with elderly woman”- Oct 22, 2013)
The City of Seattle’s Central Planners are in a rush to use limited taxpayer resources to purchase prime property, but for no reason. Either way, this property will function as it does now – as a parking lot – for many years. If the land is worth purchasing after the viaduct is gone, surely there will be private developers who will do just that. It can be developed without the City of Seattle squandering taxpayer funds, abusing eminent domain, and (if past performance is any indication of future results) probably botching the job in the process.
Eminent domain reform is need in Washington State. As this story shows, these types of pointless efforts to abuse the process are completely unnecessary. It is one more case where government, given a tiny bit of power, constantly works to expand that power, resulting in abuses like this.
To contact the City of Seattle:
City of Seattle website
Contact Mayor McGinn: (206) 684-4000 or by email
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy – usbacklash.org