City Council members challenge eminent domain

Some New York City council members are asking legislators in Albany to change eminent domain laws, following the council’s Dec. 19 approval of Columbia University’s expansion into Harlem. Council members, including Letitia James of Brooklyn and Helen Sears of Queens, say developers are abusing eminent domain laws and are taking advantage of a 2005 Supreme Court ruling that allows the government to transfer property from one private owner to another. Council members want to clarify a process for homeowners whose property will be taken. They have called for a new way to estimate the value of those homes and an extension of the time period homeowners have to challenge property seizure.