What if you had a reoccuring nightmare, that while you were sleeping, thousands of dead bodies were rising out of their graves to come and take…your home! Sound scary? Well it is actually happenning to the owners of homes in posh Sarataga, a suburb of San Jose.
In what may prove to be a "poster-child" case for eminent domain reform on next June’s ballot, the Saratoga Cemetary District has officially left their options "open" to pursue the use of eminent domain as they seek to force the owner of a home to sell their house, which abuts the Madrona Cemetary. The "urgent need" — apparently the Saratoga Cemetary District wants to expand the roadway around the graveyard.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, Nikki Teeter answered a knock on her door to find a real estate agent there, representing the District, telling her that they want to buy her home. Apparently, despite protests that the Teeters have no interest in selling their home of 29 years, the realtor kept trying to set up meetings.
Apparently this Cemetary District is not governed by elected officials, but by a quasi-independent board, that is appointed by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
A local banker, Phil Boyce, who is the Chairman of the District Board, told the Merc that they will not rule out use of eminent domain to take the Teeter’s home.
But wait, it gets worse. Apparently according to records obtained by Liz Kniss, the Cemetary Board has been plotting this move against the Teeter family home and one other, for over a year! The Teeters only became aware of this, with the call on them by the realtor, less than a month ago.
The Teeter’s do have at least one political ally — Saratoga Councilwoman Jill Hunter, who told the cemetary board, "We are concerned where the next property is going to be that you will take."
Eminent domain reform is so needed in California. This nightmare of the Teeter’s is for real. Your home could be next!
