Like taking candy from an old lady —- Donald Trump vs. Vera Coking.In 1993 the casino, real estate,

Like taking candy from an old lady —- Donald Trump vs. Vera Coking.In 1993 the casino, real estate, and business magnate Donald Trump sought to expand his casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  His plans were to extend the parking lot at Trump Plaza and add a limousine port.  The only thing standing in his way was the elderly widow Vera Coking, who lived in and operated a small boarding house next to the Trump Casino. Vera Coking had lived in the house for 36 years, long before the casinos came to Atlantic City.  She had lived in the house with her husband in the 60’s, raised three children in the house, and intended to continuing living in the house as long as possible.  Over the coming years gambling moved into Atlantic City, and casinos and other businesses were built around the Coking house. She received many offers for the house. Yet Vera refused to move.  In 1983 Bob Guccioni, owner of Hustler Magazine, offered $1 million for the property, yet she stubbornly refused to sell.  In 1993 Donald Trump made a similar offer along with a lifetime of free lodging at Trump Casino.  Again Coking refused.  Like other offers Coking probably thought the matter had ended there, but Donald Trump had one ace up his sleeve; the power of the law.Using his  influence, Trump convinced the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CDRA) to condemn the house using the power of eminent domain.  Eminent domain is the power of the government to transfer ownership of property if it is necessary for public use, and if the property owner is compensated.  On May 6, 1994, Vera Coking received a letter from the CDRA saying that she had to move out in 90 days or the local Sheriff would move her out by force.  Her compensation was $250,000, despite the fact that the property was appraised at $750,000.  It seemed Vera Coking was at the end of the line.  Against the forces of Donald Trump and the CDRA, what could she do?Help did arrive for Coking, in the form of the Institute for Justice, a non-profit legal aid group.  Coking took the CDRA to court, challenging the power of Trump to take her house.  In this David and Goliath fight, the law sided with David.  The New Jersey Superior court ruled that Trump’s taking of the property did not constitute a taking for public need, but rather for the profit of a private entity.  Vera Coking kept her house.  She lived in it until 2011, when she was forced to leave due to old age and the inability to manage it.  Today it is on the market for $995,000.In 2005 the US Supreme Court Ruled in Kelo vs. City of New London that private property could be transferred to corporations for the purpose of economic development.   In the case the City of New London condemned the neighborhood of Fort Trumbull to make way for the construction of a pharmaceutical plant operated by Pfizer.  In the end the homeowners lost, and Fort Trumbull was bulldozed.  In an embarrassing twist Pfizer dropped out of the deal, deciding at the last minute that it wanted to build a plant elsewhere.  Today Fort Trumbull is a large empty lot.In the meantime Trump expresses that he supports the Supreme Court ruling inKelo Vs. City of New London.  Since the Vera Coking incident he has used eminent domain powers to expand his properties on a number of occasions. Aren’t you now glad that weasel haired asshole never ran for president?  -- source link

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