Rumblings of eminent domain abuse are coming from Weymouth, Massachusetts. Property owner Nick Delegas is in danger of having his property seized by local politicians bent on implementing their own vision of the neighborhood, specifically “beautification and traffic improvements”.
Unhappy with Nick’s decision to wait to renovate his storefronts, Weymouth bureaucrats have recently advised the Mayor to look into taking Nick’s private property through eminent domain. But Nick was waiting for new tenants before he started overhauling the property, and he had been negotiating with Walgreens to open a store in the property. He stated, “We’re not going to leave it that way. Is it going to look that way six months from now? No.”
Unfortunately for Nick, Massachusetts is one of only six states that have yet to reform their laws since the infamous Kelo decision. The state legislature has delayed efforts to curb eminent domain abuse and refused to pass reforms that would protect property owners like Nick.
Unless legislators act soon, the fate of Nick Delegas’ property is in the hands of the town’s bureaucrats.