If a crazed citizen destroyed a home he'd go to jail. If he destroyed a dozen it would be national news. If it was triple digits he'd get the chair. But if it's over 700 you get a seat in office apparently.
Hope he gets a huge win but sadly this won’t be enough to change their behaviour unless the money comes out of their pensions. As it stands taxpayers end up footing the bill.
I pray that he gets a big payout from the lawsuit. He seems like the kind of man the county needs to restore blighted homes and give value to this community.
We should deport those who stomp our rights as Americans. It should be part of the deal when one takes an oath... break the oath, be deported far far away.
@@CD-vb9fi There is nothing criminal in creating laws. Further, laws are signed by a group of individuals. There is a process to challenge those laws via the courts, which never involves prison. But good luck with that!
At what point does the dozer operator have a responsibility to act like a human being and just say no to the city? "I was just doing my job" is not an excuse.
@@Milesco where the fuck did i say demolishing one single house is his livelihood? I'm talking about the bulldozer operator. Not doing his job puts him in hot water and you don't know his financial situation. I wouldnt risk my livelihood or familys wellbeing over some guy claiming that the city shouldnt be demolishing his house
Regular guy, taking a lifetime of skills to improve the lives of his family, friends and neighbors, getting screwed over by incompetent government. This is what America has become. A city would rather celebrate tearing down houses than allow people to fix them up, because the latter doesn't get newspaper headlines.
@@danielhurst8863 Hey, maybe this man, new to the area, didn't know how to research the local real estate well enough to know that it was on the list to be torn down. And clearly whoever sold it or what Realtors were involved didn't expose this to the buyer. I don't think that has anything to do with the government. Either he should have known about the list of properties to be taken down or he was swindled. Hard lesson. But, he did what you have to do, hire attorneys to try to get restitution. If you want to criticize this County government, maybe you should research the county and their program better before you comment.
@@sydneywood4398 IJ would not be involved if there wasn't wrongdoing and a really good case. It is the GOVT responsibility to assure notification and be consistent in their application of laws. Clearly this was not done.
@@TshepoKotelo why would you think that? What do you know about the real estate purchase process and demolition process in this particular County? How do they notify the homeowner? When was the demolition scheduled, before or after he purchased the house?
I know that young man, we once worked for the same company in NJ. He was doing the same thing back then as well, buying and fixing up properties. He was very skilled at his craft. I hope that he gets justice.
I hope he gets justice. He was robbed and deserves to have it made right. Bibb County has always had a problem with overreach and need incentive to rein it in.
Not notifying the guy they were going to demolish his house and then telling him that they weren't going to demolish it and then demolishing it is criminal. I hope they pay him several times the value of the house after the improvements he did to it, and learn a lesson.
@@utoob23 He's obviously just sad that he has one less tin wired fire hazard slum lord shack to rent out to section 8 voucher holding migrants for $1000/mo.
Its jsut a bunch of good old boys ensuring the picket fences in that neighbourhood stay nice and white so that the right people can live there, eh? I am sure that played a part in their decision.
@@MountaineeringSensethis is an actual warning, many of the Jan 6th cult followers are being prosecuted but the ring leader is still inciting the reprisal...this time armed!💙💙💙
You all need to calm down. This is one county in the state of Georgia. This is one type of problem. You only think the government is out of control because you hear it on Fox. Fear = $$for the fools telling you these lies. It's not. Learn, research on legitimate sites, libraries, books, college classes, don't just repeat what you hear or see when you go down internet rabbit holes.😢
@rexmasters1541 I just now finished watching this most recent vlog from the IJ. A loud to myself, even before I looked in the comments, is exactly what you posted, only to reiterate, WAY out of control! I see another respondent stated that your comment is an understatement. Which likely (and rightly renders my added emphasis, "WAY....") to similar category. In my own opinion, gov't here in the U.S. at ALL levels, l.e at ALL levels, the bureaucratic agencies at ALL levels, have fully morphed in to the world's largest organized crime syndicate in the history of all mankind. And I haven't even yet touched on the integral role of the finance and mic sectors of that syndicate. Thankfully the team at the IJ has the fortitude, patience and skill to make valiant attempts (many of them successful) at obtaining proper justice in cases like this one.
They clearly screwed up when someone in an official government capacity told him it wasn't going to be demolished- that makes the government responsible. And whoever sold him the property without disclosing that the building was condemned and the realtors involved have broken the law and are responsible too. The county had an 'out' if then notified the previous owner but they lost that argument when they misled the new owner. And when they inspected it and told him it was now a safe building that revoked any right they had to keep it condemned or to demo it. Most of all I hope he doesn't settle but takes this to trial where legal precedents will occur protecting others in similar situations in the future.
The government never gave notice so there was no process started. They just decided to knock down the home. Why would the government officials care it's not as if they are going to be held accountable. They wanted to teach him a lesson.
They probably targeted the house on purpose. You can see the house doesn't look abandoned. They want to reduce housing to build apartments is my guess.
This is pure evil. What the hell happened to property rights, in America?! I would never leave. In short, they would have to kill me, because I'm not leaving! Home, is everything!
I understand wanting to reduce blight but that is not the way to go about it. I appreciate you for defending the rights of this man and others like him
@BeadmanLee All goes back to money - and because it's Macon GA there's possibly/probably an element of white supremacy. The NIMBY types want their property values high.
It is a misuse of the word "Blight" which is a fungal disease plants contract that can spread. For a government agency to call anything else "blight" is overstepping the bounds of law. It's tantamount to killing "ugly people" because their subjectively unsightly appearance has been deemed "a blight on society."
The definition of "blight" is vague and non-descript. It's a term that doesn't have a concrete definition and can be used in any manner that someone sees fit. One man's blighted property is another man's fixer-upper. A single weed on a piece of property could be considered by someone to be "blight." Does that give someone else the right to destroy the house that is sitting on the land just because of one weed popping up out of the ground?
That's an immortal technique lyric. "How could this be the land of the free, home of the brave? Indigenous holo cost and the home of the slave." (I know how how to spell it, my comment will just be censored if I spell it correctly.)
Even if he wins, which i hope that he does, it's the taxpayer that loses. Nothing will happen to the actual people that violated the Constitution. There needs to be personal accountability for the people that make these decisions.
@@geoffh1 You’re not responsible for what other people do. If you vote for someone because of x, y, z but they go and do something you don’t like, then it should not be your fault because you voted for them. If I said that you’re my friend, but then you go and do something REALLY bad, criminal, and it isn’t worth justifying how bad that thing you did was, you’re getting what you asked for, why would I be responsible for what you do because I _associated_ (past tense) with you. This is just a way to doubly injure the complaining party rather than taking accountability.
This story breaks my heart! THANK YOU IJ for taking on this critical problem! Those responsible for this massive, outrageous & egregious violation MUST be held accountable! And this lovely, hard working citizen must be compensated for his losses resulting from their unlawful behavior. Furthermore, the system, protocols & policies that permitted (or failed to prevent} this to happen must be assessed and reconstructed to prevent this from repeating!
Goes to show that you truly do own nothing whatsoever. “We don’t like this old run down house, so we have decided to remove it for you. You’re welcome.. don’t thank us.”
@@matj3296 If you're not paying rent/mortgage to a landlord/bank, you're paying it to the government, under threat of violence. Government is a racket.
Thank you so much IJ, it seems you are one of the only ones standing up to the system for the regular people. I always save your videos for last become they restore my faith in people and leave me feeling uplifted after watching what is going on in the world. Blessings to you all
My grandmother was born in Macon. She watched a police officer kill her dad in front of her, then they ruled it a suicide. She moved to Charleston, then Rhode Island later to get away from Georgia.
@@leroynew1776 It's an interesting thing about moving away from a state, you also get away from the people there at the same time. Funny how that works, huh? She wasn't separating from the residents, she was getting away from the people in charge that she felt betrayed by. Your IQ must be in the single digits. I'm amazed you found your way to this video.
Must be strange laws in Georgia. I worked in code enforcement in Minn and there is a long process of notices with time to respond a full and time consuming process.
By stating that they are demolishing the homes due to "an imminent threat to the community" they are invoking the taking clause. Any taking under the taking clause must be compensated otherwise it's a constitutional violation.
@@jimmy_kirk agreed. 5th amendment Eminent Domain requires fair market value of the property taken. Btw, I know you from direct d and various other 1a audit lives.👋✌️
Who's gonna make them pay? You? Look, there's a REASON they target certain individuals, and leave others alone. Can you guess the reason? The ones they target AREN'T going to do anything 'rash', they'll play the game, and in the end even if those in power lose, they still win because it ain't THEIR money being lost. As for the second group? They'll steal the bulldozer, and go straight for the town hall.
It’s called “Eminent Domain” and can only be done for public use of the land. And it’s a federal crime. Meaning, it applies to every states and the city don’t get to use their own judge to rule on this.
Government officials will continue these abuses until they are personally held accountable. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay to defend these parties, and subsequent settlements, when they abuse their authority.
Institute of Justice deserve more praise and more funding. they are truly the entity that can help you with injustices against government/city officials. Thank you for what you do!
My town is that way too. Democrats. My friend has torn them down and sadly has told us many had zero rot, or maybe a little in one area on a porch. He was very somber when telling us
that's a broad stroke you have there. Not all government do those things to their constituents. You're sounding more like Doomsday Donald Trump with that negativity.
The average house price in Macon is $170,000. Sue for triple damages plus courts costs and legal fees. In fact get a class action suit going for all the other houses torn down. So 600 houses time $170,000 times 3. Up to around $300 million for the county. If the owners of the other houses join in on the lawsuit.
@@ryshellso526that IS addressing it! How else is someone to get restitution for something like this? Once this is won then they can go about voting out the corrupt and changing those ridiculous laws
@@ryshellso526 your Supposed to sue to address the problem 😂 do us a favor and slap yourself for us kid. Unless you think meeting together and shaking hands is the way to go then I'd love to see you do this Ha
They can’t demolish a house without going through the condemnation process. That’s a violation of the takings clause!!! Anyone want to bet there’s money from a developer involved?
This "blight fight" doesn't require condemnation of the property. According to the County website: A property is considered blight if it meets at least two of the following criteria: Is uninhabitable, unsafe, or abandoned due to: Safety hazards caused by property disrepair. Severely overgrown vegetation (12 inches or higher). Prolonged, repeated criminal activity on the property. Unsafe animal infestation. Has inadequate ventilation, light, air, stormwater, or sanitation. Poses an imminent threat to other property caused by fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, storm, or other natural catastrophe as declared by the governor. Is the site of repeated illegal activity that the owner knew of or should have known of. Maintenance fails to meet governmental codes for at least one year after written notice of the violation to its owner.
@@TheoriginalBMT Doesn't even have to be grass, says vegetation. Overgrown azalea bushes and no power turned on (inadequate light/ventilation). There is two conditions.
I live in Macon Bibb county and it is a shit hole. The biggest problem is we keep electing corrupt officials even after their term. The fact that you can buy drugs on most street corners doesn't help matters.
This happens all over the country. People would rather elect a blatantly corrupt official from "their" party, than vote for a totally honest man of the "opposing" party.
The voting system is corrupted... We need Term Limits for All Local, State and Federal positions, imho. It should help reduce the ability to corrupt officials.
Why would any of those bureaucrats care? There is no consequences for them. They don't fear being sued or punished in any way. They probably laughed and high fived each other after destroying that man's life.
Where is the HUMANITY of the people that did this? I could see if NO one had shown up explaining the situation, but he did show up, and still they were cold, callus, and unfeeling toward him.
Entrenched bureaucrats seem to struggle with the concept of morality and compassion. The more bureaucratic America becomes the more corrupt and uncaring towards the rights of its citizens it becomes and the bureaucratic class protects its own.
Why, just let him swap his house with the one the victim owns - a patch of grass now, not the victim's fault😅 that is exsctöy like the intro of "The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy" - what zhe demolition crew dod to a single house, hsppened minutes later on a larger scale: the whole planet gets demolished and the story starts in earnest...🎉😅
What happened to Due Process? Where is compensation for the government taking another's property for public uses (reducing "blight" is a public utility)?
Yep. Been invaded by government. They tried to make my home unlivable and condemn it to boot me out by them smashing it up over 7 hours. People I know came by and put things back before they could get out here to condemn and we had it back perfectly in place. They were so mad. This county I live in is out to get me. I’m careful driving even to be a few miles hr under and a few dashcams with gps.
The thing that is particularly fishy, in this case is, the house was already on the list, before being sold to this owner. The county claims he was still given "nearly 20 months" to fix it or pull construction permits. In this case it would appear to be about 18 months from sale of the property, to demolition. The county claims that their rules (not law) was followed and a letter of "Nuisance Per Se" was provided and posted on the property. They are not clear in the statement if an additional letter of "Nuisance Per Se" was provided for the new owner, or if only the original letter was provided. If it had already been determined the this building was to be demolished, why was the sale of the property allowed? Did the previous owner disclose the status of the property and sell it as is?
The guy knew what he was buying and didn't do anything for a year and a half. Sorry. No sympathy. I'm surprised IJ took the case. But, hey.... They're smarter than I am, so good luck to them
Thank you, IJ, for taking on this important case. Eric, I am deeply sorry for your losses here, and hope your efforts to address this will do some real good for you and many others. You are, in particular, just the kind of person the county should be grateful to have as a citizen and resident as you upgrade properties and work to reverse the "blight" they are claiming to address. Perhaps there are other motives here, like wanting to clear properties to sell them to the very rich, or such. I am grateful you are trying to address this wrong, and very sorry for all the distress it must cause you to have to do so.
He should be compensated in the millions, what happened to he’s personal property such as money, passports, personal papers etc The city should be personally responsible and not the tax payers
This is absolutely unacceptable ! When government can attack a persons life without notice or consent no matter why there is a major threat to Americans !
John Quade said.. If you pay a tax on something you think you own.. You don't own it.. Someone else does. Try to not "paying" the tax on what you think is your property.. What happens? They take it. So.. Do you own it? No.. Nobody does.
Stuff like this is wrong. If you own the land and home you should have full ownership. It’s even more wrong for them to forcefully demolish places when the homes are being fixed. Why not instead offer money to homeowners for repairs. Don’t tear down communities rebuild and restore them. I hope he succeeds with his efforts to make the area right their wrong.
I think they all are.. we can't find housing because of all the 4 in ers getting free money. Gov is paying people extra to provide housing for illegalzzzz.
Worse. Democrats. I am from Macon. Unfortunately the city has gone straight downhill since the 90's. I left, and will not go back. It is a real shame, because I loved Macon. Defended it when people said how bad it was. "There are no boring places, only boring people." Having said that, this is a clear violation of eminent domain. He MUST be compensated for what he paid for thd house, plus labor, materials, and compensation for the violation and inconvenience. People of Macon. You have elected exclusively democrats since the 90's. And during that time, your home, and my former home, have gone straight down hill. It is time to get off the victim narrative, and stop electing democrats. They are selling you BS to keep you poor and dependent. And when a hard working man like this one comes along to improve the community, they destroy him. Because they cannot afford for you to see, success is right there for you. But you have to stop whining & take responsibility.
I am from Macon. Unfortunately the city has gone straight downhill since the 90's. I left, and will not go back. It is a real shame, because I loved Macon. Defended it when people said how bad it was. "There are no boring places, only boring people." Having said that, this is a clear violation of eminent domain. He MUST be compensated for what he paid for thd house, plus labor, materials, and compensation for the violation and inconvenience. People of Macon. You have elected exclusively democrats since the 90's. And during that time, your home, and my former home, have gone straight down hill. It is time to get off the victim narrative, and stop electing democrats. They are selling you BS to keep you poor and dependent. And when a hard working man like this one comes along to improve the community, they destroy him. Because they cannot afford for you to see, success is right there for you. But you have to stop whining & take responsibility.
@thebarkingmouse I love the implication here that things would be better under Republicans. Unfortunately, the truth is not that simple. The Republicans are usually even more corrupt than the democrats, and are in charge of the poorest states in the country. They LOVE using government power to do shit like this. They're responsible for voter suppression in Georgia, the open carry laws that drive out business surrounding large events like music festivals, the election laws that tried to keep people from handing out water to voters in line, and the closure of polling places to reduce turn out. These are the crooks you're suggesting run Macon? Corruption is a bipartisan issue that stems from economic incentives. Property owning people all over the country unfortunately have an incentive to keep their property values high or to raise them. This is succeeding in that objective. The corruption in this case is endemic - it's a problem that exists everywhere for everyone. To blame this on democrats is extremely ignorant.
Nahhhh he needs to sue, this was wrong on so many levels. You cannot just demolish a house without the knowledge of the OWNER of the property. They trespassed and caused destruction of property, they should be treated as criminals
How can something like this possibly happen anywhere, especially in the USA??? So outrageous that I want to move to another planet. And of course there will be NO accountability, just ruined lives
Those corrupted officials need jail time!!
If a crazed citizen destroyed a home he'd go to jail. If he destroyed a dozen it would be national news. If it was triple digits he'd get the chair. But if it's over 700 you get a seat in office apparently.
@@IsaakPole
Say it AGAIN, for the people in the back🔥🔥
Correct. Unfortunately they will probably all be reelected.
@@susannarducci3350 welp, my comment got deleted. I agree with you and we're right.
LIFE in PRISON!
Please WIN. Get him a huge settlement so they never do this to anyone else. Tyrants!
Hope he gets a huge win but sadly this won’t be enough to change their behaviour unless the money comes out of their pensions.
As it stands taxpayers end up footing the bill.
I pray that he gets a big payout from the lawsuit. He seems like the kind of man the county needs to restore blighted homes and give value to this community.
@@hockysa they should be homeless and see how life is like for most people nowadays
The general public is full of cowards. They can literally do anything to y’all peasants.
It will never stop them unfortunately. The money would have to come out of their pockets instead of the taxpayers for it to make them stop
Government needs to be criminally liable for their wrongs.
We should deport those who stomp our rights as Americans. It should be part of the deal when one takes an oath... break the oath, be deported far far away.
How do you imprison a government?
@@ThereIsNoOtherHandleLikeMine You find out the one that stroked the pen... and that one goes to jail.
@@ThereIsNoOtherHandleLikeMine military tribunals.. public hangins
@@CD-vb9fi There is nothing criminal in creating laws. Further, laws are signed by a group of individuals.
There is a process to challenge those laws via the courts, which never involves prison.
But good luck with that!
At what point does the dozer operator have a responsibility to act like a human being and just say no to the city? "I was just doing my job" is not an excuse.
"Orders are orders", is what they said at the Nuerenberg trials...
"I was just following orders." But that defense was specifically rejected -- and rightly so -- at those trials.
What you just want this guy to throw away his livelihood for the sake of what's right?
@@crispyybaconx His livelihood? Demolishing _one single house_ is his livelihood?
@@Milesco where the fuck did i say demolishing one single house is his livelihood? I'm talking about the bulldozer operator. Not doing his job puts him in hot water and you don't know his financial situation. I wouldnt risk my livelihood or familys wellbeing over some guy claiming that the city shouldnt be demolishing his house
Regular guy, taking a lifetime of skills to improve the lives of his family, friends and neighbors, getting screwed over by incompetent government.
This is what America has become. A city would rather celebrate tearing down houses than allow people to fix them up, because the latter doesn't get newspaper headlines.
It wasn't incompetence, it was premeditated
This is so heart breaking
@@danielhurst8863 Hey, maybe this man, new to the area, didn't know how to research the local real estate well enough to know that it was on the list to be torn down. And clearly whoever sold it or what Realtors were involved didn't expose this to the buyer. I don't think that has anything to do with the government. Either he should have known about the list of properties to be taken down or he was swindled. Hard lesson. But, he did what you have to do, hire attorneys to try to get restitution.
If you want to criticize this County government, maybe you should research the county and their program better before you comment.
@@sydneywood4398 IJ would not be involved if there wasn't wrongdoing and a really good case. It is the GOVT responsibility to assure notification and be consistent in their application of laws. Clearly this was not done.
@@TshepoKotelo why would you think that? What do you know about the real estate purchase process and demolition process in this particular County? How do they notify the homeowner? When was the demolition scheduled, before or after he purchased the house?
I know that young man, we once worked for the same company in NJ. He was doing the same thing back then as well, buying and fixing up properties. He was very skilled at his craft. I hope that he gets justice.
I hope he gets justice. He was robbed and deserves to have it made right. Bibb County has always had a problem with overreach and need incentive to rein it in.
Not notifying the guy they were going to demolish his house and then telling him that they weren't going to demolish it and then demolishing it is criminal. I hope they pay him several times the value of the house after the improvements he did to it, and learn a lesson.
City says they gave him 20 months
@@utoob23 He's obviously just sad that he has one less tin wired fire hazard slum lord shack to rent out to section 8 voucher holding migrants for $1000/mo.
@@utoob23 City also said they werent going to demolish it
Its jsut a bunch of good old boys ensuring the picket fences in that neighbourhood stay nice and white so that the right people can live there, eh? I am sure that played a part in their decision.
@@utoob23The guy says they didn't. I believe him.
I am so glad he's taking legal action because the audacity of them, invading that man's property and destroying it.
The government is out of control.
That's an UnderStatement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@MountaineeringSensethis is an actual warning, many of the Jan 6th cult followers are being prosecuted but the ring leader is still inciting the reprisal...this time armed!💙💙💙
To say the least.
You all need to calm down. This is one county in the state of Georgia. This is one type of problem. You only think the government is out of control because you hear it on Fox. Fear = $$for the fools telling you these lies. It's not. Learn, research on legitimate sites, libraries, books, college classes, don't just repeat what you hear or see when you go down internet rabbit holes.😢
@rexmasters1541
I just now finished watching this most recent vlog from the IJ.
A loud to myself, even before I looked in the comments, is exactly what you posted, only to reiterate, WAY out of control!
I see another respondent stated that your comment is an understatement. Which likely (and rightly renders my added emphasis, "WAY....") to similar category.
In my own opinion, gov't here in the U.S. at ALL levels, l.e at ALL levels, the bureaucratic agencies at ALL levels, have fully morphed in to the world's largest organized crime syndicate in the history of all mankind. And I haven't even yet touched on the integral role of the finance and mic sectors of that syndicate.
Thankfully the team at the IJ has the fortitude, patience and skill to make valiant attempts (many of them successful) at obtaining proper justice in cases like this one.
They clearly screwed up when someone in an official government capacity told him it wasn't going to be demolished- that makes the government responsible. And whoever sold him the property without disclosing that the building was condemned and the realtors involved have broken the law and are responsible too. The county had an 'out' if then notified the previous owner but they lost that argument when they misled the new owner. And when they inspected it and told him it was now a safe building that revoked any right they had to keep it condemned or to demo it. Most of all I hope he doesn't settle but takes this to trial where legal precedents will occur protecting others in similar situations in the future.
This whole situation stinks like corruption. Why would they accelerate the process when he was actively trying appeal the decision?
Those in charge are clearly malicious and have no compassion for their fellow man nor respect for our rights as citizens.
Yep, and I bet they sent him a bill for the cost of destroying his house.
@@xerxes8632I bet they also got paid by someone else (either a higher form of goverment or a private company looking to move in)
The government never gave notice so there was no process started. They just decided to knock down the home. Why would the government officials care it's not as if they are going to be held accountable. They wanted to teach him a lesson.
Some developer probably has his eyes on that area.
Not following Due Process is not only unconstitutional, it is immoral and criminal.
What paperwork u fill out to buy the house may by pass due process
@@Freedomishere-im6ugdue process CANNOT be waived under any circumstances. Doesn’t matter what you sign, you can’t sign it away.
This man could have been an asset for getting rid of the blight in a constructive way, now I doubt he'll ever work with the county.
They probably targeted the house on purpose. You can see the house doesn't look abandoned. They want to reduce housing to build apartments is my guess.
Are you sure that's not what they want?
@@bananascoaster1243😢
@@bananascoaster1243 after that?
Thank you for helping this victim. Too much government over reach
This is pure evil. What the hell happened to property rights, in America?! I would never leave. In short, they would have to kill me, because I'm not leaving! Home, is everything!
Hundreds of Millions have died over property thru history.
I am almost 100% sure I would have ended up in jail.
Evil is correct
@@Joe-by8jhyes, why do voters not see this?
Property Taxes; because muh public schools.
This is wrong on so many levels. This man is doing his best, you do not demolish someone castle. Heartless and insane.
Sydney AUST.
I understand wanting to reduce blight but that is not the way to go about it. I appreciate you for defending the rights of this man and others like him
Imagine caring if a house in disrepair is up the street from you?
"I demand TV sitcom levels of set design"
@BeadmanLee All goes back to money - and because it's Macon GA there's possibly/probably an element of white supremacy. The NIMBY types want their property values high.
It is a misuse of the word "Blight" which is a fungal disease plants contract that can spread. For a government agency to call anything else "blight" is overstepping the bounds of law. It's tantamount to killing "ugly people" because their subjectively unsightly appearance has been deemed "a blight on society."
The definition of "blight" is vague and non-descript. It's a term that doesn't have a concrete definition and can be used in any manner that someone sees fit. One man's blighted property is another man's fixer-upper. A single weed on a piece of property could be considered by someone to be "blight." Does that give someone else the right to destroy the house that is sitting on the land just because of one weed popping up out of the ground?
The sad thing is that it's probably costing just as much to demolish the houses as it would to bring them up to code.
We the people need to stand up to the government. This is insane. This story needs to be shared EVERY WHERE!
What they promised: “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”
What we got: “The Land of the Fee and the Home of the Slave.”
Preach!
Americans have been sold a bag of lies
Great phrase!... copyright it
That's an immortal technique lyric.
"How could this be the land of the free, home of the brave? Indigenous holo cost and the home of the slave." (I know how how to spell it, my comment will just be censored if I spell it correctly.)
"they" arnt the people alive today. The people alive today are the greedy and cheats
That demolition owner should also be liable. For damages.
Thank you IoJ for standing up to a corrupt government for this innocent man!
I know it's hard to win when suing the government, but I sure hope this fella gets his day and wins. BIG!!!
Even if he wins, which i hope that he does, it's the taxpayer that loses. Nothing will happen to the actual people that violated the Constitution. There needs to be personal accountability for the people that make these decisions.
Yup... every time
Did Eric talk to the city/county official that told him his house was safe? I'd include him in the lawsuit!
@timd1833 , including the official to the lawsuit will do little since it/she/he still has Qualified Immunity.
The people voted for those officials. They should be stuck with the bill. Pay attention to who you are voting for.
@@geoffh1 You’re not responsible for what other people do. If you vote for someone because of x, y, z but they go and do something you don’t like, then it should not be your fault because you voted for them. If I said that you’re my friend, but then you go and do something REALLY bad, criminal, and it isn’t worth justifying how bad that thing you did was, you’re getting what you asked for, why would I be responsible for what you do because I _associated_ (past tense) with you. This is just a way to doubly injure the complaining party rather than taking accountability.
thank you for being there for us!
This story breaks my heart!
THANK YOU IJ for taking on this critical problem!
Those responsible for this massive, outrageous & egregious violation MUST be held accountable!
And this lovely, hard working citizen must be compensated for his losses resulting from their unlawful behavior.
Furthermore, the system, protocols & policies that permitted (or failed to prevent} this to happen must be assessed and reconstructed to prevent this from repeating!
Goes to show that you truly do own nothing whatsoever. “We don’t like this old run down house, so we have decided to remove it for you. You’re welcome.. don’t thank us.”
Next, the county will probably send him a bill for the demolition!
I own my house ( no mortgage), but if I don't pay that property taxes, id be homeless. So do I even own the land?!? 🤣
@@matj3296 If you're not paying rent/mortgage to a landlord/bank, you're paying it to the government, under threat of violence. Government is a racket.
They told you that you would own nothing and be happy. The happiness part is optional.
They told you that you would own nothing and be happy. The happiness part is optional.
Thank you so much IJ, it seems you are one of the only ones standing up to the system for the regular people. I always save your videos for last become they restore my faith in people and leave me feeling uplifted after watching what is going on in the world. Blessings to you all
My grandmother was born in Macon. She watched a police officer kill her dad in front of her, then they ruled it a suicide. She moved to Charleston, then Rhode Island later to get away from Georgia.
That's crazy! I've never been to Macon but lived in Atlanta a few times and never heard stories like any of these. So disturbing
I'm very sorry that happened to your grandmother and her family.
I believe you.
Now there's a case for the avenger of blood.
Yeah its Georgia's fault not the people lol
@@leroynew1776 It's an interesting thing about moving away from a state, you also get away from the people there at the same time. Funny how that works, huh? She wasn't separating from the residents, she was getting away from the people in charge that she felt betrayed by.
Your IQ must be in the single digits. I'm amazed you found your way to this video.
Must be strange laws in Georgia. I worked in code enforcement in Minn and there is a long process of notices with time to respond a full and time consuming process.
By stating that they are demolishing the homes due to "an imminent threat to the community" they are invoking the taking clause. Any taking under the taking clause must be compensated otherwise it's a constitutional violation.
@@jimmy_kirk agreed. 5th amendment Eminent Domain requires fair market value of the property taken. Btw, I know you from direct d and various other 1a audit lives.👋✌️
@@TheOneandOnlyD-R-E What a small world! 🙃
Who's gonna make them pay?
You?
Look, there's a REASON they target certain individuals, and leave others alone. Can you guess the reason? The ones they target AREN'T going to do anything 'rash', they'll play the game, and in the end even if those in power lose, they still win because it ain't THEIR money being lost.
As for the second group? They'll steal the bulldozer, and go straight for the town hall.
@@TarsonTalon "Who's gonna make them pay? You?"
Why would someone file a lawsuit with me? I'm not a court. 🙃
It’s called “Eminent Domain” and can only be done for public use of the land. And it’s a federal crime. Meaning, it applies to every states and the city don’t get to use their own judge to rule on this.
Thank you for representing this man
Government officials will continue these abuses until they are personally held accountable. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay to defend these parties, and subsequent settlements, when they abuse their authority.
That is exactly the issue. None of these people are PERSONALLY HELD ACCOUNTABLE for their horrible decisions.
Yup, they don't care. So sue us. Even if wins he probably won't be whole and the officials will face no hardship.
Institute of Justice deserve more praise and more funding. they are truly the entity that can help you with injustices against government/city officials.
Thank you for what you do!
We are doomed by our government. We live in a sad world of government over reach.
My town is that way too. Democrats. My friend has torn them down and sadly has told us many had zero rot, or maybe a little in one area on a porch. He was very somber when telling us
this the way it's going to be when trump get back in office and worse
that's a broad stroke you have there. Not all government do those things to their constituents.
You're sounding more like Doomsday Donald Trump with that negativity.
@@Dapper_Dean
Well, how could I argue with that logic and comparison.
Only if we allow it
That is terrible and disgusting! Rooting for you!
The average house price in Macon is $170,000. Sue for triple damages plus courts costs and legal fees. In fact get a class action suit going for all the other houses torn down. So 600 houses time $170,000 times 3. Up to around $300 million for the county. If the owners of the other houses join in on the lawsuit.
Found the small hat and big nose... sue your way out of problems, rather than address it.
@@ryshellso526that IS addressing it! How else is someone to get restitution for something like this? Once this is won then they can go about voting out the corrupt and changing those ridiculous laws
@@ryshellso526 -- So how would you address it? How would you get your money back or have them build you a new house?
@@ryshellso526 your Supposed to sue to address the problem 😂 do us a favor and slap yourself for us kid. Unless you think meeting together and shaking hands is the way to go then I'd love to see you do this Ha
@@Fazzel Probably the typical gun nut 🥜 😖
Yeah, 2A solves everything apparently, once you're 👼🏼
What I would like to know is which person within the government has some kind of side deal pertaining to that property
What a terrible experience.
What happened to title insurance company? This case is so wrong in so many levels. I hope he gets millions back.
They can’t demolish a house without going through the condemnation process. That’s a violation of the takings clause!!!
Anyone want to bet there’s money from a developer involved?
This "blight fight" doesn't require condemnation of the property. According to the County website:
A property is considered blight if it meets at least two of the following criteria:
Is uninhabitable, unsafe, or abandoned due to:
Safety hazards caused by property disrepair.
Severely overgrown vegetation (12 inches or higher).
Prolonged, repeated criminal activity on the property.
Unsafe animal infestation.
Has inadequate ventilation, light, air, stormwater, or sanitation.
Poses an imminent threat to other property caused by fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, storm, or other natural catastrophe as declared by the governor.
Is the site of repeated illegal activity that the owner knew of or should have known of.
Maintenance fails to meet governmental codes for at least one year after written notice of the violation to its owner.
@@pctotty12 inches of grass is def the worst of the bunch
Of course there is likely Graft. The Jury will not be happy. The County will settle.
@@TheoriginalBMT Doesn't even have to be grass, says vegetation.
Overgrown azalea bushes and no power turned on (inadequate light/ventilation). There is two conditions.
@@TheoriginalBMT it dont say grass , just vegitation over 12" ...that could be a tree for all we know
And even now Bibb County still celebrating their demolished building count to 700+ in their website since 2021.
I'm so heart sick from the evil in this world
I live in Macon Bibb county and it is a shit hole. The biggest problem is we keep electing corrupt officials even after their term. The fact that you can buy drugs on most street corners doesn't help matters.
This happens all over the country. People would rather elect a blatantly corrupt official from "their" party, than vote for a totally honest man of the "opposing" party.
@@SirNomad😥
That has nothing to do with corrupt government officials lol
The voting system is corrupted...
We need Term Limits for All Local, State and Federal positions, imho.
It should help reduce the ability to corrupt officials.
@@SirNomad americans by their own will turn a representative democracy in a monarchy
Why would any of those bureaucrats care? There is no consequences for them. They don't fear being sued or punished in any way. They probably laughed and high fived each other after destroying that man's life.
And, a pay increase. Slick MFs...
This is awful. I pray these people are punished and he is well compensated for his loss.
There is no infraction small enough that the police won't kill you over.
Costs of doing business.
As a homeless couple, we sure get to see how!
We're good people too. It does not matter.
Where is the HUMANITY of the people that did this? I could see if NO one had shown up explaining the situation, but he did show up, and still they were cold, callus, and unfeeling toward him.
When Jesus was predicting the end days he said "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12)
Entrenched bureaucrats seem to struggle with the concept of morality and compassion. The more bureaucratic America becomes the more corrupt and uncaring towards the rights of its citizens it becomes and the bureaucratic class protects its own.
They're not human- they work for the Government!
Whoever’s signature that are on the demolition documents definitely needs to be prison, as well as all the people in charge of the this debacle.
Why, just let him swap his house with the one the victim owns - a patch of grass now, not the victim's fault😅 that is exsctöy like the intro of "The Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy" - what zhe demolition crew dod to a single house, hsppened minutes later on a larger scale: the whole planet gets demolished and the story starts in earnest...🎉😅
What happened to Due Process?
Where is compensation for the government taking another's property for public uses (reducing "blight" is a public utility)?
Its one thing for county officials to make a mistake,, but to then refuse to make it right is beyond the pail.
Your property, your money and your life can be taken away by your government any time they want.
Always be on your guard.
Yep. Been invaded by government. They tried to make my home unlivable and condemn it to boot me out by them smashing it up over 7 hours. People I know came by and put things back before they could get out here to condemn and we had it back perfectly in place. They were so mad. This county I live in is out to get me. I’m careful driving even to be a few miles hr under and a few dashcams with gps.
They owe you a new home …sue the fuck out of them😡😡😡
That's Banana Republic stuff right there...
Banana Republic problems require Haitian cannibal solutions
8 cop cars watching the demolition means they knew what they were doing was wrong
How is that allowed? Terrible!
The thing that is particularly fishy, in this case is, the house was already on the list, before being sold to this owner. The county claims he was still given "nearly 20 months" to fix it or pull construction permits. In this case it would appear to be about 18 months from sale of the property, to demolition. The county claims that their rules (not law) was followed and a letter of "Nuisance Per Se" was provided and posted on the property. They are not clear in the statement if an additional letter of "Nuisance Per Se" was provided for the new owner, or if only the original letter was provided.
If it had already been determined the this building was to be demolished, why was the sale of the property allowed? Did the previous owner disclose the status of the property and sell it as is?
Doesn't matter. The title transfer should have noticed.
The guy knew what he was buying and didn't do anything for a year and a half. Sorry. No sympathy. I'm surprised IJ took the case.
But, hey.... They're smarter than I am, so good luck to them
Wow, that is terrible! How could they do that to him?!
Thank you, IJ, for taking on this important case. Eric, I am deeply sorry for your losses here, and hope your efforts to address this will do some real good for you and many others. You are, in particular, just the kind of person the county should be grateful to have as a citizen and resident as you upgrade properties and work to reverse the "blight" they are claiming to address. Perhaps there are other motives here, like wanting to clear properties to sell them to the very rich, or such. I am grateful you are trying to address this wrong, and very sorry for all the distress it must cause you to have to do so.
He should be compensated in the millions, what happened to he’s personal property such as money, passports, personal papers etc
The city should be personally responsible and not the tax payers
But doesn't all the city's money come from tax payers?
@@johnball8758shhhhh communists don't like logic... you might fry his tiny brain...
my heart sank when I saw this video... I cannot even imagine how terrible it must have been for Mr. Eric Arnold to see this happen...
what terrible people they are in macon....this guy house was bulldozed with all his beloingings in it...terrible place to move to
Im so sorry this happened to you. I hope you can sue them for the full value. What happened to you should have never happened.
They're with the government and they're here to help
raise the property values of their donors
That IS RIGHT! Oh I'm so furious!
Where does this end?! What line can be drawn...omfg
Thank you IJ, please keep up the good fight! Also, get a store on your site, I would love to rep your mission publicly.
This is insane, I hope he is able to sue and recover his land and get compensated for damages. No Government should have the power to do this
This is absolutely unacceptable ! When government can attack a persons life without notice or consent no matter why there is a major threat to Americans !
That warrants 2nd amendment usage right there. A person threating to destroy my living quarters? My _home?!?!_
Which is why the county had an army of enforcers on hand.
Shouldve happened wont happen , theres been multiple calls that warranted 2nd amendment usage in the past year. it wont happen.
SWAT team was on standby
Sometimes, reasonable men must do unreasonable things.
Bet you that a government official is working on a development that includes that property. That is the reason for the “error.”
John Quade said.. If you pay a tax on something you think you own.. You don't own it.. Someone else does.
Try to not "paying" the tax on what you think is your property.. What happens? They take it. So.. Do you own it? No.. Nobody does.
This is wild
Stuff like this is wrong. If you own the land and home you should have full ownership. It’s even more wrong for them to forcefully demolish places when the homes are being fixed. Why not instead offer money to homeowners for repairs. Don’t tear down communities rebuild and restore them. I hope he succeeds with his efforts to make the area right their wrong.
The rich, greedy, currupt want us all to rent homes, so we're their wage slaves for our entire lives.
The government has certain immunities, but I don't. *Therefore, I am held to a higher standard than the government.*
Not sure how you are confused, governments have sovereignty. Citizens have responsibilities.
*Over 750 homes destroyed* That's a very large settlement. Move out of *Georgia*
Absolutely insane!
I am so sorry about this mans mistreatment.
The officials responsible for this should live in fear.
Shame! Macon should be held accountable...
Always get things in writing! If no one's willing to put their name to it, it'll be your word against theirs
The only "blight" is the government officials that destroyed his home.
A blight on humanity.
The City needs to be sued to the maximum!
People who pay taxes shouldn't be punished for this. I hate qualified immunity.
I hope and Pray to Saint Joseph, a carpenter, to reimburse him at least $500,000 for his damages suffered. God Bless this Man and his family.
Ty for sharing the video ❤️
These criminals are not stopping. They have no incentive to stop. They must be stopped.
By force if this was my property.
Sue the County into insolvency. The County is obviously in bed with Blackrock.
I think they all are.. we can't find housing because of all the 4 in ers getting free money. Gov is paying people extra to provide housing for illegalzzzz.
Worse. Democrats.
I am from Macon. Unfortunately the city has gone straight downhill since the 90's. I left, and will not go back. It is a real shame, because I loved Macon. Defended it when people said how bad it was. "There are no boring places, only boring people."
Having said that, this is a clear violation of eminent domain. He MUST be compensated for what he paid for thd house, plus labor, materials, and compensation for the violation and inconvenience.
People of Macon. You have elected exclusively democrats since the 90's. And during that time, your home, and my former home, have gone straight down hill.
It is time to get off the victim narrative, and stop electing democrats. They are selling you BS to keep you poor and dependent.
And when a hard working man like this one comes along to improve the community, they destroy him. Because they cannot afford for you to see, success is right there for you. But you have to stop whining & take responsibility.
I have a suspicion they are going to target every house he buys.
Government does not own those properties.
Why the have the right to demolish somebody's property without notice"
These are 100% criminal activities.
How can the city not know this is illegal?
I am from Macon. Unfortunately the city has gone straight downhill since the 90's. I left, and will not go back. It is a real shame, because I loved Macon. Defended it when people said how bad it was. "There are no boring places, only boring people."
Having said that, this is a clear violation of eminent domain. He MUST be compensated for what he paid for thd house, plus labor, materials, and compensation for the violation and inconvenience.
People of Macon. You have elected exclusively democrats since the 90's. And during that time, your home, and my former home, have gone straight down hill.
It is time to get off the victim narrative, and stop electing democrats. They are selling you BS to keep you poor and dependent.
And when a hard working man like this one comes along to improve the community, they destroy him. Because they cannot afford for you to see, success is right there for you. But you have to stop whining & take responsibility.
It's not only Dems who screw the people over, but Repubs as well... Don't make it political, stay neutral in order to get your points across.
@thebarkingmouse I love the implication here that things would be better under Republicans.
Unfortunately, the truth is not that simple. The Republicans are usually even more corrupt than the democrats, and are in charge of the poorest states in the country. They LOVE using government power to do shit like this. They're responsible for voter suppression in Georgia, the open carry laws that drive out business surrounding large events like music festivals, the election laws that tried to keep people from handing out water to voters in line, and the closure of polling places to reduce turn out. These are the crooks you're suggesting run Macon?
Corruption is a bipartisan issue that stems from economic incentives. Property owning people all over the country unfortunately have an incentive to keep their property values high or to raise them. This is succeeding in that objective. The corruption in this case is endemic - it's a problem that exists everywhere for everyone.
To blame this on democrats is extremely ignorant.
Notice a pattern with democrats cities? Notice the OPPOSITE pattern with red cities?
That’s a fking horror! That government is out of control, probably a land grab. I hope this man gets justice. What a 💩state
I hope they make this man a multi-multi millionaire for this.
Nahhhh he needs to sue, this was wrong on so many levels. You cannot just demolish a house without the knowledge of the OWNER of the property. They trespassed and caused destruction of property, they should be treated as criminals
Who makes these Laws and who is responsible for oversight of these laws?
Why not just gift the man of the blighted house the money to fix it up rather than contract it out and occupy others with the costs associated?
Systemic Transfer of wealth
The people involved need to go to jail.
How can something like this possibly happen anywhere, especially in the USA??? So outrageous that I want to move to another planet. And of course there will be NO accountability, just ruined lives
The reason Americans keep electing liberals
This is why you hire a title company instead of a handshake deal. He bought a home the county had condemned.
Jail time is needed
When a camel can pass through the eye of a needle, so shall a rich man enter prison.
The government will investigate themselves and find themselves innocent of any wrongdoing.
Thank you IJ for protecting us from our government.