Joy Ford comes out winning

The Joy Ford battle with MDHA comes to a happy end. Apparently, some folks started doing some real thinking and a land swap deal was worked out. I've no doubt that an important component in coming to this compromise was the heat that citizens put on MDHA, Lionstone Group and local politicians. Great work, y'all.

I guess it wasn't all that blighted after all, eh?

UPDATE: Just got off the phone with Miss Joy....we did a lot of whoooping and hollaring as we rejoiced in her victory. She's headed to her office for the Noon press conference, exhausted from the battle and thrilled she no longer has a muzzle on her regarding all this. She did say she was going to be part of efforts to modify the eminent domain laws in Tennessee this January. Look out Capital Hill. What an amazing woman.

Here's the IJ Press Release from an hour ago.

INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE
HOME PAGE: WWW.IJ.ORG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 1, 2008

CONTACT:
John E. Kramer
(703) 682-9320

Victory for Music Row Entrepreneur Joy Ford
In Nashville Eminent Domain Dispute

Ford Keeps Her Building & Gets More Land,
Conflict Settled through Private Negotiation, Not Government Force

Arlington, Va.—Eminent domain will not be used against Nashville music entrepreneur Joy Ford in a hotly contested battle about the abuse of government for a developer’s private gain. In an agreement signed Tuesday night, September 30, Ford, who has fought eminent domain since June of this year, keeps both her building and obtains more land adjacent to her building along Nashville’s storied Music Row while agreeing to give up land behind her office. Today at noon, Ford will hold a press conference at her office, which is located at 23 Music Circle East in Nashville.

“This agreement is a magnificent victory for Joy Ford and all Tennessee home and small business owners,” said Scott Bullock, senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented Ford and fights eminent domain abuse nationwide. “By challenging eminent domain abuse, Joy Ford obtained a landmark agreement where she keeps her building and gets more and better land next to it.”

Under the agreement, Ford will exchange a portion of her back parking lot measuring 50 feet wide and 73 feet deep for a parcel adjacent to the eastern (right) side of her building measuring 49 feet wide and 105 feet deep. Nashville’s Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) did not participate in the negotiations between Ford and Lionstone.

“This agreement demonstrates what can happen when private parties sit down to work something out without the government,” said Bullock.

The Institute, along with Nashville eminent domain attorney Jim Fisher of Lassiter Tidwell, represented Joy Ford throughout the controversy, including negotiations over the agreement.

In June, the MDHA filed an eminent domain action against Ford to obtain her entire parcel of land so that it could be given to a Houston-based private developer, Lionstone Group, to construct an office building. Under pressure, MDHA in August dropped its eminent domain suit against Ford’s building but demanded that Ford settle by giving up virtually the entire back portion of her long, narrow parcel of property. Ford rejected this demand, but came up with an alternative proposal: she would exchange a portion of the back of her property for more accessible land on the east side of her building owned by Lionstone. After weeks of intense negotiations, Lionstone agreed to the proposal. The agreement is solely a swap of land. No money was exchanged.

“I am elated with this agreement,” said Joy Ford. “This battle was never about money. It was about protecting my rights and keeping my family’s legacy on Music Row. Now I will have a more accessible and better parking area for my clients’ cars, trucks and buses while they are visiting Country International.”

Although Ford achieved victory in her battle, she is not done with her fight against eminent domain abuse, pledging to work with other property owners and Metro and state legislators to stop eminent domain abuse. “I will not rest until eminent domain is stopped being used on behalf of private interests.”
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