THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 5, 1996 TAG: 9609050004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 36 lines
Got some property you want to sell - or don't want to sell? Not to worry, if Norfolk is any example, the newly proposed Virginia Beach Redevelopment and Housing Authority will take it off your hands - cheap. It will become routine practice for authority officials to hire real estate appraisers to produce low-ball appraisals that may be below our existing mortgage and/or property tax assessment values. Further, should you chose to resist, you will be dragged into court and end up spending any profit you might have realized on legal costs.
Before Virginia Beach voters elect to establish a VBRHA, I strongly suggest a crash course in Virginia condemnation law. The law is written in favor of the ``takers'' and against the property owners because, among other things:
Authority appraisals of your property are not required to be made available to you.
Tax-assessed value of property is not admissible in court.
Amount of mortgage on property is not admissible in court.
Effect of condemnation on value of property is not admissible (condemnation blight).
The ``takers'' can refuse to accept the court award if they think it is too high!
If the ``takers'' refuse to accept the court award, you are right back at square one and they can start harassing you all over again. Finally, be aware there is no Miranda warning for property owners. Everything you write or say to the housing authority, their lawyers and their appraisers may use against you - but they probably won't tell you that.
H. E. ROBERTSON
Captain, U.S. Navy (ret.)
Virginia Beach, Aug. 27, 1996 by CNB