Raleigh property owners must now register rentals

From WRAL: People who own residential rental property in Raleigh have from March 1 until April 30 to register their property under a city ordinance adopted last year. more...

NCPRC expects eminent domain amendment to be introduced

We expect an eminent domain amendment to be introduced at the General Assembly in the coming weeks. Such an amendment would protect your property from being unjustly seized for purposes other than a legitimate public use such as a school or road.

On May 24, 2007 a proposed eminent domain amendment (HB 878) passed the NC House by a vote of 104-15. On May 29, 2007, the bill was referred to the N.C. Senate's Ways & Means Committee -- which had not met since 2001. The bill was clearly sent away to die.

We will keep you posted on the progress of the eminent domain amendment once it is introduced. We hope that the House & Senate leadership will give it the fair hearing it deserves.

Wilmington: Battle lines are drawn as City Council approves annexation

WWAY TV3: Council chambers were packed with residents in red who oppose the forced annexation of Monkey Junction. All but one council member voted to move forward with the annexation process. more...

Cary Tea Party Protests Annexation Re-Zoning Along Swift Creek Watershed

Hundreds of citizens are expected to rally before the Cary Town Hall Feb. 12th before the Town Council's public hearing. They gather for a Cary Tea Party to voice their opposition to the forced annexation of their Wake County homes. more...

Colorado: Bill to protect landowners in railroad relocation dies

Bill to protect landowners in railroad relocation dies

Goldsboro will wait on state for ruling on annexing

Goldsboro News-Argus -- Goldsboro Mayor Al King and Mayor Pro-tem Chuck Allen say they will hold off on any involuntary annexation until the state legislature decides its next move on the subject.

Currently, the legislature is looking at allowing citizens to vote on whether or not they want to be annexed into city limits.

And although they believe the idea is a bad one, King and Allen say there are some adjustments that need to be made to the legislation. more...

Problems With Forced Annexation Exposed in New Guide

Carolina Journal Online: North Carolina has an "extreme" annexation law that needs major reform. That's the assessment of a John Locke Foundation expert who outlines the law's flaws in a new Q&A guide to forced annexation.

"My analysis of the level of recourse provided to property owners targeted for forced annexation shows that 48 states -- virtually every other state in the country -- have abandoned North Carolina's outdated approach to forced annexation," said Daren Bakst, the guide's author. "The 4.1 million North Carolinians who live in unincorporated areas make up 46 percent of the state's population. These are the people who could become victims of forced annexation. They deserve better than this state's current annexation law." more...

Washington, N.C. City Council Closer to Starting Annexation

Washington Daily News (2/10/09): The Washington City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday that identifies four nearby areas the city may want to annex. more...

Protecting Private Property Rights included in AFP's legislative agenda

Americans for Prosperity of North Carolina has included protecting private property rights as one of the key issues in its 2009 legislative agenda.

From an e-mail recently distributed by AFP-NC:

Protect private property:

o Support a constitutional amendment stopping eminent domain abuse.

o Stop forced municipal annexation.

o Stop excessive property tax increases that threaten homes & businesses.

Blueprint for Annexation Reform

The John Locke Foundation recently published a Blueprint for Annexation Reform; it can be viewed here.

From StopNCAnnexation: Annexation Law Tweaks vs the Truth

The NCLM (NC League of Municipalities) had their usual say in the N&O recently:
How N.C. should tweak its annexation laws

The city lobbyists claim that the law requires cities to provide a long list of urban services, but the truth is not so simply stated nor the bar necessarily so high. What do the laws require of the cities? It depends… it depends on what the city has to offer in the first place. Each annexation requires different responsibilities from the annexing city because the law allows such a wide variation regarding what the city must provide. The law allows cities that don’t even have their own fire and police departments to forcibly annex. more...

Article by Doug Bandow: Increasingly Lost Property Rights

Increasingly Lost Property Rights

Articles & Info on Forced Annexation in NC

The John Locke Foundation has compiled this excellent resource:
Forced Annexation in N.C.: A question-and-answer guide.

Winston-Salem Journal - Right to Vote? N.C.'s legislators divided on giving power to targets of forced annexation

News14 - Study commission votes to stop NC annexation

Carolina Journal - Pinehurst, Pinewild Feud Over Annexation

WWAY - Sunset Beach moving forward with annexation

Wilmington Star-News - Wilmington expands proposed Monkey Junction annexation area

WRAL - Wake County residents fight annexation

Statesville Record & Landmark - Hearing nears on Langtree annexation

Proposed Intertate High Speed Rail Network could impact property owners

Click here to read more.

Book written about Kelo case

Book Review: 'Little Pink House' Relates Eminent Domain Injustice.

Lawmakers meeting on changing annexation rules

RALEIGH, N.C. — A committee is trying to respond to citizen complaints about the way North Carolina cities and towns acquire unincorporated areas.

The panel of legislators, municipal leaders and the public is slated to meet Thursday to recommend changes to the full Legislature about involuntary annexation laws.

Grass-roots groups and citizens attending the committee's public hearings are unhappy with how some towns and cities have annexed land. They want lawmakers to require municipalities to provide promised services more quickly and to give reisdents of the targeted areas more say over whether annexations happen. more...

Proposed legislation in NC House committee could infringe on property rights of homeowners living near railroads

The NCPRC received a tip this week that the N.C. House Select Committee on Comprehensive Rail Service Plan for NC has a piece of proposed legislation that would grant the railroads project approval for any improvements made on private property that the railroad easement also shares. According to the tipster, property owners and the railroads pay property taxes on the land. We are looking into this issue.

Newspapers cover candidates' positions on property rights

The Burlington Times-News asked State Senate candidates Tony Foriest (D-incumbent) and Rick Gunn (R) questions related to annexation and stormwater rules in a recent candidate survey. The candidates' responses are linked here.

The Wilmington Star-News asked Senate candidates R.C. Soles (D-incumbent) and Bettie Fennell about annexation. Their responses are listed here.

The Lexington Dispatch raises the annexation issue in the race between State Representative Hugh Holliman (D) and Republican challenger Rayne Brown. Read the article here.

If you know of other news items which reveal where candidates in North Carolina stand on property rights-related issues, please e-mail them to us at info@ncpropertyrights.com.

2008 N.C. Property Rights Voter Guide Now Available

The 2008 N.C. Property Rights Voter Guide is now available on our Web site. Click here to find out where the candidates stand on protecting private property rights.

Property Rights Voter Guide -- Coming Soon

Late last week, the N.C. Property Rights Coalition mailed a 12-question candidate survey to every legislative candidate in North Carolina, as well as candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. We will use candidates' responses to publish a voter guide to let citizens know where candidates stand when it comes to private property rights.

Please encourage every candidate you know, regardless of party affiliation, to return our survey. Private property rights are one of the cornerstones of our free society, and we should know where they stand on this important issue.