General Discussion

KamaAina

(78,249 posts) Mon Oct 5, 2015, 01:48 PM Oct 2015

Hamburg to seize commercial property to house migrants

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34422558

Hamburg has become the first German city to pass a law allowing the seizure of empty commercial properties in order to house migrants.

The influx of migrants has put pressure on the authorities of the northern city to find accommodation. Some migrants are sleeping rough outdoors....

Hamburg's new law is described as a temporary, emergency measure. Owners of empty commercial properties will be compensated. The law does not include residential properties....

The authorities in Bremen, a city just west of Hamburg, are considering passing a similar law.

We ought to try that here, for our internal refugees (the homeless).

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Hamburg to seize commercial property to house migrants (Original Post) KamaAina Oct 2015 OP

PR disaster in 3 -- 2 -- 1 -- Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #1

Just the government seizing private property LittleBlue Oct 2015 #2

Gosh, you're right! That could never, ever happen here. KamaAina Oct 2015 #3

Not to mention asset forfeiture Fumesucker Oct 2015 #4

Right, they have compulsory purchase orders in Britain too LittleBlue Oct 2015 #5

"The Hamburg region's leftist government - a coalition of Greens, Social Democrats (SPD) and pampango Oct 2015 #6

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)

1. PR disaster in 3 -- 2 -- 1 --

Reply to KamaAina (Original post)

Mon Oct 5, 2015, 01:50 PM

Oct 2015

LittleBlue

(10,362 posts)

2. Just the government seizing private property

Reply to KamaAina (Original post)

Mon Oct 5, 2015, 01:56 PM

Oct 2015

Nothing to see here.

I couldn't live in Europe. Most of those countries don't have free speech or respect for property rights. If they want you to do x, they just pass a law seemingly without constitutional restraint.

Don't like what someone says? Ban it. Want someone's property? Just take it

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)

3. Gosh, you're right! That could never, ever happen here.

Reply to LittleBlue (Reply #2)

Mon Oct 5, 2015, 01:57 PM

Oct 2015

Oh, wait a minute. There is this thing called "eminent domain".

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)

4. Not to mention asset forfeiture

Reply to KamaAina (Reply #3)

Mon Oct 5, 2015, 02:01 PM

Oct 2015

The good news is you can sue to get your property back, if you have the money.

LittleBlue

(10,362 posts)

5. Right, they have compulsory purchase orders in Britain too

Reply to KamaAina (Reply #3)

Mon Oct 5, 2015, 02:06 PM

Oct 2015

The argument is that the greater good of the community is being achieved. What does Hamburg gain by housing immigrants? There is no communal benefit here. There was no legal process here, the government just showed up and seized property to satisfy a political end.

But that is common in Europe. It's a make-it-up-as-they-go legal system.

pampango

(24,692 posts)

6. "The Hamburg region's leftist government - a coalition of Greens, Social Democrats (SPD) and

Reply to KamaAina (Original post)

Mon Oct 5, 2015, 02:15 PM

Oct 2015

Die Linke - says the new law will be in force until March 2017.

...the conservative opposition in the city, in the north of Germany, condemned the move."

The authorities in Bremen, a city just west of Hamburg, are considering passing a similar law.

It is designed to be a temporary measure and owners of the empty commercial properties will be compensated. It is the action of a liberal government, opposed by conservatives. None of that is exactly surprising. It merely reinforces who supports the refugee program and who opposes it.

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