Oklahoma State acquires land for athletic village
Oklahoma State has won the right to use eminent domain to acquire a piece of property needed for completion of its athletic village, a court has ruled. Eminent domain basically means that even though you own a property, the state has a right to take it for public use.
The owners purchased the property in 2005 for $25,000 and turned down the school’s offers of up to $62,000 to buy it. They plan to appeal the decision, but in the meantime Oklahoma State holds the title to the property and is free to begin its construction on the property. If the owners win the appeal, they can regain control of the property even though Oklahoma State has built upon the property.
After the appeal, a jury will determine how much the owners will be paid for the property. Until then, they have legally been “robbed” of their land.
I’m all for progress and the expansion of college athletic facilities, but I always feel sorry for the little guy in eminent domain cases. Whether you buy a property for residence or investment purposes, it seems like you should have control of it once you have made the purchase. The sad reality is that sometimes that control is taken away, and nobody likes to lose control of something they’ve worked hard for.
NCAA, college, football, Oklahoma State, land, eminent domain, athletic village
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