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Fraudulent Underpayment

The $2500 “Determination of Value” made by Detroit CFO Jay Rising relies on a list of 9,310 properties sold after 2021. Over HALF of these properties were $100 sidelot sales. Even so, the average sales price on this list is $9,087.02. Their 85th percentile offer appears to be higher than average, but is actual MUCH lower.

Transparency

Click here to view the raw sales data used to determine the Just Compensation. The City of Detroit does not have this data published. For a project of such scale and impact, it is essential that the residents have access to the data used to value their own homes.

Incorrect Data

Many of the lots in the 9,310 dataset include arms-length transactions, even though the Statement of Just Compensation states they’ve been removed. In addition, many people live in homes that have been condemned and are entitled to a higher compensation. In addition some homes have assessed values drastically higher than the City’s condemnation amount!

No Restrictions!

The City has repeatedly refused to place restrictions or reversionary clauses on the land. In only 1 year they can pay off DTE and Lightstar, take the land back, and sell to a subdivision developer, data center company, or the likes of Amazon!

Blight alleviation?

Detroit already has multiple programs to eliminate blight. From Nuisance Abatement, to the Blight Bundle, they’ve turned their back on these neighborhoods for decades, allowing dumping, prostitution, and drug use so they can now pick up the pieces on the cheap.

Utility Abuse

The City uses examples like 100 year old takings of land under a hydroelectric reservoir as precedent for taking land for solar. Don’t they realize rivers with dams are isolated, while sunlight shines everywhere?! They don’t NEED this land!

Take only what you need!

In 1990 the City of Troy tried to take 17-27 extra feet for a 6 foot sidewalk, stating they’ll need it in the future. The court disallowed this. Detroit can’t take hundreds of acres from private individuals, when it already owns hundreds of solar-ready acres, much of it abandoned!

Ever heard of rooftops?

In the State Fair neighborhood, they’re taking approximately 30 acres, yet the Amazon, Target, Meijer, and transit center buildings have a combined roof area of over 30 acres!

Detroit has enough land!

The City of Detroit already has 1875.17 acres on lots over 10 acres in size. Of that, 37 parcels are wholly or partially neglected or abandoned. The partial amounts of land that are abandoned equates to 457 acres, more than 4x what the City claims it needs!

Government sales data is included

If all Wayne County, Detroit, and Land Bank sales are removed from their dataset, the average sales price is $61,542 and 85th percentile is $62,700. MUCH, MUCH higher than the $2500 offer.

Economic Development is NOT allowed.

The State of Michigan voted to amend our constitution in 2006. We reversed takings after the travesty of Poletown, and banned the use of eminent domain for economic development. Detroit CSO Trisha Stein states in “Detroit Solar Stories” that these solar farms will increase property values, tax revenue, and create jobs.

Legally Blighted

Current Michigan Legislation considers any previously tax-reverted property as blighted, even after ownership by the City or Land Bank. So, in a City like Detroit, 150,000 properties, one third of the city are forever blighted. This definition needs to change!

Place reversion clauses on land!

The City of Detroit states that this land can’t have reversionary clauses, they cite an 1844 railroad condemnation as case law. These solar panels will be placed for at most 35 years and as little as 1 year. Give the land back to the owners after!

The plans can change, but only when they want.

Between May and July 2024 the maps for the takings in State Fair changed drastically. With a stroke of a pen, they determined some lots need to be seized, while previously necessary land is no longer needed. Seems strange, doesn’t it? What happened?

Use restrictions have no value?

The city sent out a letter requesting use restrictions be removed, sending just the Liber/Page number which is difficult to obtain. The description of the use restrictions can be found here.

Do you have money for your legal fees?

Detroit is hiring outside counsel, averaging $1,000,000 per neighborhood with the current approved legal fees at $5M as of this writing. All the while many victims of the solar takings can not afford the attorney fees necessary to fight back.

I don’t live in Detroit, why should I care?

If successful, this project sets a dangerous precedent possibly allowing government agencies to take private parcels to construct solar farms, anywhere in the United States (where the sun shines, that is).

We exist because we care about Detroit and its residents. Given the city’s controversial history of eminent domain usage displacing residents, for example, in Poletown, Black Bottom, and Paradise Valley, we believe this project goes against the best interest of the city and its residents.