I live in my dream home.  We have been here 15 years and have made our house everything we wanted by remodeling and putting on an addition.  I love my house.  I do not want to move.  My children do not want to move.  My husband is more realistic and ready to be done with this saga that has been over our head for eight years…

Yes, eight years of knowing we would have to move at some point.  That some point is now.  Now is 90 days.  That is how eminent domain works.  If you don’t agree with the value of what the entity that is taking youir property is, they file condemnation aka “eminent domain” and once you receive notice you have 90 days to vacate.  At least that is what it is in Minnesota.

Our notice will be in our mail box any day now…

I feel sick.  I want to throw up.  I want to cry.  I do cry and then I am angry. I am angry at the politicians who approved this project, I am angry at the system that didn’t give us a fighting chance to save our beloved property and I am angry that they are not offering us enough to buy another home that is as wonderful as our current home.

So we are not accepting their offer and now we need to find a home to rent.  We have two young children and three dogs.  We are going to be homeless in 90 days, not by choice, but for a frontage road.  Yes, a frontage road.  A little unnessary frontage road connecting another frontage road. Why?  I will tell you why, from my prospective.  I do not know what else to do, except tell our story.

Welcome to my blog.  The story of 4020 Shady Oak Road, my family and how we lost our home to eminent domain.

~Susan

Definition of eminent domain:  Government power to take private property for public use without the owners consent. Constitutional provisions in most countries, including the U.S. require the payment of just compensation to the owner.