More Londonderry thievery

[KBCraig]

Londonderry is at it again.

http://www.unionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=62065

Seizure of land leaves Londonderry residents fuming
By MARGARET MENGE
Union Leader Correspondent

LONDONDERRY ? At least two property owners in north Londonderry have been notified in recent months that the state has taken their land by eminent domain for the airport access road project.

Jim and Lorayne Pincence, who own 112 acres on Hall Road, said they came home one day three weeks ago to find a notice thrown up on their porch saying that all but 3 of their 112 acres were being taken for wetlands mitigation.

Al Baldasaro, a retired Marine Corps sergeant who lives at 41 Hall Road, was served notice in June.

He said he answered the door to see a Rockingham County sheriff's deputy on his doorstep holding a letter from the state Board of Tax and Land Appeals saying that almost 5 of his 6 acres had been taken.

The Pincences and the Baldasaros are among 70 property owners in north Londonderry from whom the state has been attempting to acquire land so that they can put construction of the access road out to bid.

Bob Barry, who's managing the mitigation for the Department of Transportation, said that the federal environmental impact statement for the new road required it.

Negotiations have been under way for more than year, with the state making offers of varying amounts for properties surrounding Little Cohas Marsh that add up to about 750 acres.

An impartial appraiser was hired by the state to determine the value of all parcels of land, as the law requires. The property owners must, by law, be given "just compensation." But the property owners interviewed for this article all said that the amount they were offered by the state was much less than market value.

Baldasaro said the state offered him $10,000 for 4.9 acres. He said he bought the property in 2002 for $287,000.

"My land's not for sale," he said. "But if you're gonna take it, you gotta pay fair market value."

Jim Pincence wouldn't say what the state had offered him but said, "It was a lot lower than anyone else has been offered in the area."

The state made John Goulet, of 18 Hall Road, an offer of $7,800 for 3 of his 5 acres.

"That's peanuts," said his son Mark, "For $7,800, I'd rather just keep it."

Mark said his dad hired a lawyer in the last two weeks and is looking at taking legal action.

Pincence, owner of Pincence Land Clearing, said that once they found out that the state wanted their land a couple of years ago, it put them in a tough place.

"It put a collar on us," he said. "Who would buy land they know they were gonna lose eventually?"

He said his wife, Lorayne, who holds the title on the land, just hired an attorney to look at taking legal action against the state.

Kathleen Kilroy, who lives down the road from Baldasaro and Pincence, grew up in the house where she now lives with her husband and 2-year-old son.

They have two horses in back that they ride on their 59 acres behind the house. The state wants all but 1.29 acres, which is short of the 2-acre minimum that Londonderry requires for horse owners. The state offered just $1,000 an acre.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" she said, "Get rid of the horses ? something I've been doing since I was 7 years old?"

She and her husband David have retained the services of a lawyer ever since the state first mentioned that their land could be taken by eminent domain two years ago. But she's not hopeful.

"There's no way you're gonna win this because there's millions of dollars behind this."

She said you can't even bring up the subject with her father, from whom she bought the house. He's beside himself. She said she and her husband have been sick over it ? nauseous, unable to sleep and losing hair. They're in the process of hiring their own appraiser to come out and determine the value of their land. They plan to counter the state's offer.

Much of the land that the state is taking for mitigation is wetlands. But Baldasaro and Pincence have been fighting the state on that account since last year.

They say that the land is being flooded by a dam the state was supposed to take down in April of 2004. Baldasaro said he thinks the state is doing this on purpose to devalue his property.

"New Hampshire is quietly taking people's land," he said, "They're taking 700 acres of land from people who can't afford to fight."

His attorney filed an objection at the end of August, saying that since his property is five miles from where the access road will be built, the state hasn't demonstrated why they need it for some public benefit ? the standard that has to be met to allow taking by eminent domain.

Baldasaro's case has been referred to Rockingham County Superior Court.

He and his attorney are waiting for a court date.

[polyanarch]

Remember:

Government = Theft

[Fluff and Stuff]

Londonderry is at it again.

http://www.unionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=62065

Seizure of land leaves Londonderry residents fuming
By MARGARET MENGE
Union Leader Correspondent

...Baldasaro said the state offered him $10,000 for 4.9 acres. He said he bought the property in 2002 for $287,000....

I thought Londonderry was one of the nicest communities in NH and land was worth $10,000 plus an acre?  If that is true, it sounds like the state is trying to steal the land...  That's one of the worst things I can think of.  I mean, the only reason the state was even created was so that it could protect you and your land.  Now, here it is, and it seems to be trying to steal land.  Well, if it does the opposite of its original function, it sounds like it has outlived its usefulness.

[Lex]

That's just terrible! I thought NH was supposed to be the free state, at least freerer than others. If you can lose your land than I don't see the point of the other freedoms that NH may have.

[cathleeninnh]

You have to live someplace. There isn't a state in which you CAN'T lose your land, so that can't be a deciding factor. Look to other factors and weigh them according to your priorities.

Wait, didn't we DO that already???

Cathleen

[Michael Fisher]

This is absolutely disgusting!      Land ownership is an inalienable human right.  Londonderry must be stopped!   

Let's contact these homeowners and offer our help.   

[Kat Kanning]

I agree, Mike!  Let's help these people.  Those offers are despicable!

[GT]

I passed a link to this discussion on to one of the propoerty owners.

[Fluff and Stuff]

This is absolutely disgusting!? ? ? Land ownership is an inalienable human right.? Londonderry must be stopped!? ?

Let's contact these homeowners and offer our help.? ?

I thought it was the state that was taking the property?

[Kat Kanning]

Yes, the state.

[lildog]

Londonderry is at it again.

http://www.unionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=62065

Seizure of land leaves Londonderry residents fuming
By MARGARET MENGE
Union Leader Correspondent

...Baldasaro said the state offered him $10,000 for 4.9 acres. He said he bought the property in 2002 for $287,000....

I thought Londonderry was one of the nicest communities in NH and land was worth $10,000 plus an acre?? If that is true, it sounds like the state is trying to steal the land...? That's one of the worst things I can think of.? I mean, the only reason the state was even created was so that it could protect you and your land.? Now, here it is, and it seems to be trying to steal land.? Well, if it does the opposite of its original function, it sounds like it has outlived its usefulness.

Ten grand?  Isn?t that a slap in the face!

Heck in Merrimack 2 acres next door to me just sold for almost $200,000.

[polyanarch]

Two words:

Carl Drega

[FTL_Ian]

Go NH Free!  This insanity must be stopped.   

[Lex]

Two words:

Carl Drega

Wow! This guy is my hero! Here is a great article about him. And there is even a book about him.

[APB]

I was refered to this sight by a Glenn Douglas concerning the Union Leader article. Eminent domain has gone wild here in NH. The state has a mitigation project going on in Londonderry, NH and surrounding communities, where they are stealing over 700 acres for a access road to the Manchester Airport. Our land has nothing to do with the access road to the Manchester Airport.  The funny thing about this is our land is considered wetland because of the NH fish and Game refuse to take their dam out after their 50 year lease expired on April of 2004. They are not building anything on our land and the airport access road is 5 miles away. I am fighting a case of legal theivery.

I sent the Fish and Game a eviction notice last year and after getting no answer, I filed it in the Derry court. I did not have the money for a lawyer and of course my case was kicked out due to not complying with a RSA. Basically, I gave them a 30 day notice to get their water of my land and I was suppose to give them a 90 day notice.

What is wrong with our government?  I served 22 years Honorably in the US Marines (Desert Storm/Disable Vet), protecting our country, to come home to our Government, where they can take my property, because they feel like it. Sadam did this in Kuwait and you see what we did to him. Something is wrong here! This is legal thievery at it's best. They know that us little people do not have the funds to fight them. Well, I hope that they do not under estimate a retired US Marine. I am prepared to fight them to the end, so that this does not happen to other people who own a piece of our country. I want to thank you all for your concerns, but keep in mind, that there are many of us who own land here and are very unhappy. I just happen to be the only one who filed to protect my rights and others.