Date Archives July 2005

How did this get past the lawyers?

From Realtybaron:Fair Housing Spoils Reality DebutABC’s plans for a reality program were promptly killed once civil rights advocates caught wind of it…. The obvious conflict with the Fair Housing Act apparently went unnoticed (or ignored) by both ABC and MGM management, who produced the program for ABC.In the shows–all of them have been completed–seven diverse families seek votes from three white families in a development called Circle C Ranch, outside Austin. The white families, through a series of interviews, competitions and social interactions, award a 3,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom home to the winner–a neighbor, the families say, who will fit in with the community’s mostly Christian and Republican values.As for the show, “It’s hilarious and had me in stitches,” said John C.

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An interesting Eminent Domain article

The most important paragraphs of the article – Bottom line, their experiences provide a cautionary tale for homeowners, who need to pay attention to development proposals in their communities and aggressively participate in the political process to protect their homes…. “If they had gotten proper legal representation and put together a plan to oppose this project when we began to study it in 1995, it’s likely this project never would have passed.”Get and stay involved in our local political environment…. The question you have to ask yourself at the end of the day is whether you prefer to have things “happen to you” or if you prefer to have at least tried to influence the process.

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