FEE: Thanks to the Michigan Supreme Court’s recent decision in Rafaeli v. Oakland County, home equity theft is now a thing of the past in the Great Lake State.
“You have a situation where people owe eight dollars and they lost their house. How is that equitable?”
In a recent unanimous decision, the Michigan Supreme Court confirmed what FEE readers, and anyone with an ounce of common sense for that matter, always knew: It isn’t.
That’s not too big a surprise. You could hear the incredulity in Justice Richard H. Bernstein’s voice when he posed the question above to Oakland County attorneys at oral argument last November.
For those unfamiliar with the case, Rafaeli v. Oakland County concerned Michigan’s practice of foreclosing on people’s homes to satisfy small tax debts and pocketing the resultant profits (leaving the former homeowners with nothing). Uri Rafaeli, for example, owed only $8.41 (about the cost of a Chipotle burrito). To get after that pocket change, the government took his house and sold it for $24,500. They kept every penny for themselves. MORE HERE
Half-Whitmer, MUST be throwing a shit-fitmer over this!
Stick them for damages and make them personally liable for the practice too. And reimburse all others abused this way.
Meanwhile in the Fort Trumbull area of New London Ct, where home were taken by eminent domain (with a big assist from a certain SC Justice) 15 years is still vacant, and only last year was a plan finalized to use the land. Oh no not the shopping center they wanted to build so they could gain more taxes than from home owners. Nope, they are going to build a residential area. Geez, isn’t that what it was to begin with?
“A Pennsylvania-based developer is proposing a $20 million multifamily residential project to be located on the long-vacant Fort Trumbull waterfront…”
https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/outreach/awareness-months/20m-residential-project-proposed-for-fort-trumbull-area-in-new-london/520-1a4cc61f-4746-4a84-8d00-6d4f0a7b8890 .
Bureaucrats suck
Sell the property for $8.41 owed and keep the difference….phucking egregious, it’s double egregious and some government asshole needs to spend time in jail.
the real shame is it had to go that far … very little justice for the ‘common man (& woman)’ in today’s society
today’s tale of gov’t-mandated bureauNazi woe:
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I went to the MVA to get my new ‘Real ID’ driver’s license. as I’m at ‘that age’ I have to prove my existence w/ a myriad of paperwork, up to & including my birth certificate w/ raised seal, my SS card (or SS-1099), my vehicle registration (not my current state-issued license!) 2 different current utility bills or bank statements or vehicle proof-of-insurance MVA-mandated cards, or statements from the Fed, state or local gov’t …. w/ address plainly marked on the admitting papers (again … not my current state-issued license w/ my address, birth date & photo clearly displayed)
all the papers had to be shown before I could go in for an ‘appointment’ I made over a month & a half ago. I had to stand in line (proper socialist distancing, of course), in the sun on a 90 degree day. they checked my temp w/ the gov’t issued, taxpayer-funded thermal scanner & surprise!, my forehead registered 104 degrees. I was told (no kidding) to go around the building to a shady spot, cool down for 15 minutes (I was there w/ many other cool-downee’s).
final got in at the appointed time (because I had the foresight to arrive early) & only waited another hour & a half to see the bureauNazi. they allowed people just passing their driving tests to be serviced & bump out people w/ ‘appointments’ … clue to MVA: it’s not an appointment if you let others cut in in front of those that had the foresight to make an appointment!!! …. otherwise it’s not an appointment!
btw, they had a big banner hanging over the building that stated “Taking Appointments Only”
then, as I just had an eye exam last week, I got my eye dude to fill out the ‘offical’ MVA form that my eyes were ok to drive … nope, not good enough for the face-mask wearing bureauNazi behind the desk … “It’s not filled out properly”, “where is it not filled out properly?”, “It’s not filled out properly”, “it’s your form, where is it not filled out properly?”, “sir, it’s not filled out properly”, “I’m asking you where it’s not filled out properly, so next time I bring this in … IT WILL BE FILLED OUT PROPERLY!”, “it’s not filled out properly & if you don’t take your eye test here today you won’t get your new license” …. took the test, passed … after she made me do it twice.
then after I thought the whole gov’t-mandated ordeal was over she says “do you want to change your political party affiliation?”(no shit), “pardon me?”, “do you want to change your party affiliation?”, “what? why?”, “because it says here your registered as a republican”
I probably did a triple-take “and?”, “well, if you want to change your party affiliation, now’s the time. it’s just a formality”, “so, why is it the MVA’s business what party I am registered with?”, “it’s just a formality”, ” a formality? do you ask democrats if they want to change their party affiliation?”, …. (pause) “it’s just a formality”, “if I don’t change my party can I still get my license?”, “well …. yes”
“are we done?”, “yes” … no ‘thank you for your patience’, ‘have a nice day’, no nothing but “now serving B-25”
@ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ – this evening my wife retold a story about a local teen aged girl who was forced to jump through a several government hoops to be issued a driving learner’s permit.
Why? Because she could not document sufficient time spent in public school classrooms. She was completely home schooled. With top scores in all subjects. She later acquired a full academic scholarship to attend the largest university in the state. Plus an additional $8k to cover other unforeseen yearly expenses while in college.
Remember, the police profit from these types of scams all the time. A kid was smoking marijuana at his grandmother’s house, the police confiscated it as a “drug den” and sold it. Same with vehicles, they just declare them associated with drugs somehow and $$$$$! the police keep the profits.
I recall a legal thief of a power boat, and a car in my state years ago because appeal of the cases were reported on in the evening news. I don’t recall the excuse for taking the boat. But the car was stopped for some reason, unknown to the owner and driver, his friend/passenger had a joint in his jacket pocket. They took his car and sold it.
And there were people who owned large tracts of hilly land, on which unknown to them, MJ growers had planted pot patches in remote areas of their property and their land was taken. Only a few got their land back after handing a lot of cash over to lawyers, (the other professional thief profession)
There is a story about Teddy Roosevelt counseling his son about what career he ought to pursue. Telling him – You can grow up and become a train robber, and rob trains. Or you can become a lawyer and steal the whole railroad.
They can , and do make theft legal, they can not make it moral.