Stan Cramer and his family have another milestone in their quest to save their business from eminent Domain. The local court has ruled in their favor and the case now moves one step closer to trial. For those of you living on Mars, here's the story.
Stan and his family own an off airport parking facility adjacent to Harrisburg International Airport. The airport has recently built a new parking deck and has and has a long term operation nearby. They are in direct competition with Stan/ So far so good.
The airport's general manager wants to expand the freight operation at the airport and the best spot they can put it is where their long term parking is located. Now it gets tricky. The only place they can move their long term parking is just up the street from Cramer. All the long term parkers would have to drive by Stan's operation to get there. Can't have that. So the airport decided to buy out Cramer. Stan doesn't want to sell.
Next best thing, eminent domain. Force Stan to sell out, move out, or whatever. Stan doesn't want to do so.
Stan went to court. Three years and a LOT of money later, the wheels of justice are moving and Stan will get his day in court.
Some things have happened in the past three years. The airport's manager has retired, the airport board is feeling a lot of heat, and have been making offers to Stan and co. Stan has been turning them down right and left. Now the courts are beginning to see things Stan's way.
My experience with these types of things is that faced with a complicated and expensive trial, parties are motivated to make a move and actually settle, often on the courthouse steps.
After three years and a lot of money, I don't think Stan is in the settling mood. However the airport, which has the eagle eye of the public on its activities, may be so motivated, considering that things aren't really going their way, legal wise.
We'll keep you posted
JVH
They really need to keep fighting almost at all costs. The problem they face is that in eminent domain, the government doesn't pay for business damages. They will attempt to show that the parking revenue is a business and they will claim they don't have to pay for that. The same thing happened at the Phoenix Airport but it was a surface lot. There were comparable sales of raw land where the buyer was a parking lot operator but they didn't pay for the land based on how much revenue they could generate. Unless they can win their lawsuit to prevent the taking, they won't receive just compensation via eminent domain. GOOD LUCK.
Posted by: Tom Flynn | December 30, 2006 at 11:58 AM