Real Estate & Property Law

NJ Courts Require Cities to Update Blight Findings

By Alan Ackerman

WPIX

Businessweek Magazine reports that "the appellate court said Long Branch didn't satisfy stricter eminent domain standards created by a state Supreme Court ruling in a 2007 case in Paulsboro, in southern New Jersey." The magazine says because "Long Branch initially relied on a redevelopment study in 1996, well before the Paulsboro ruling, the city will be allowed to resubmit a development plan."

In this recent case, the Court did what it should do; determine that a change in the control and regulation of what is a public use initiated by either case law or state legislation must be considered in the analysis of whether there is blight.  In findings of blight prior to the change in the statute, there is a requirement that a new set of findings must be made.

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on April 27, 2010 (boomark / email).