The State Supreme Court ruled on Eminent-domain

I am pleased to provide an update on my post from last week regarding the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling on eminent domain.  On Wednesday of last week the state Supreme Court ruled that local governments can’t seize land against the owner’s wishes because they think that the property is not serving its best use.  Eminent domain may only be used when land is proven to be “blighted”.  An associated press article quoted Chief Justice James R. Zazzali as saying "The New Jersey Constitution does not permit government redevelopment of private property solely because the property is not used in an optimal manner".  This ruling is a victory for all New Jersey property owners and I am happy to see that local governments will not be permitted to abuse eminent domain laws.