Alexandria Va. big brother strikes again. Came in and low balled a guy for less then half of what his property is worth and just took it. More proof that as progressives progress the less citizens actually own in america, and the easier it is for government to just take it, and say fuck you if you dont like it.
Charlie Hooff’s family owned the land for more than 40 years before the government decided to take it by eminent domain in order to expand operations for the Alexandria Sanitation Authority (ASA). Hooff had negotiated with the ASA years before, but when the parties couldn’t reach a deal, Hooff decided to take it onto the open market. He says he had an offer in the neighborhood of $48 million, which evaporated once the government announced it would take the land. The ASA wound up offering Hooff $20.4 million, but he’s refusing to accept that as final. “They are absolutely convinced they are going to steal this property,” Hooff says, adding, “It’s just not going to happen.” Hooff points to the $48 million offer, along with appraisals he’s contracted which he says put the value in the range of $44 to $51 million.
The ASA maintains it negotiated in good faith and that it followed state law by hiring an independent, professional real estate appraiser who set the $20.4 million price tag. The agency adds, “As a responsible steward of public funds, ASA has not agreed to pay more than the appraised value of the property." Although the ASA now owns the land, the battle over how much it will pay for the parcel is far from over. Hooff is waging a legal battle in the Virginia court system, but concedes even a win won’t give him everything he thinks the land is worth. “The process is flawed from the very get go because even in the best of circumstances the landowner never really gets his full measure,” according to Hooff.
