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A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

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Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#441

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Farmer SELLS land (for $10) with a deed restriction that it is to be used for a public park. Hand wavey timey wimey... Deed restriction 'magically' goes away. Gets sold for $10M.

So a city should tie its hands permanently because of a gift? Donations can now override city planning? Tired of paying property tax? Gift your house to the city with a deed that says they have to rent it back to you forever for $1 a year? Lets be clear, this wouldnt even be news if it wasnt for "Datacentre"

> Gift your house to the city with a deed that says they have to rent it back to you forever for $1 a year?

What if I write a note saying that you need to pay me $10,000? That's not a contract, that's just a fever dream. But if you shake my hand and sign that piece of paper, that's a different story.

The same applies here. If you get the city to agree (and they don't get raided by the FBI after that), then sure, they should be bound by the deal they made.

Note that this works both ways. If you own nice rural acreage, the federal or state government will often be happy to pay you some token amount and give you a tax break for a conservation easement that prevents not only you, but all future owners, from using the land in certain ways. It's still yours, but it's now a scenic corridor and you can't build there anymore. There's plenty of such easements in California and other Western states. If I'm bound by such a perpetual, deed-attached restriction, why can't the government be?

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#442

It's exhausting that the "solution" to problems like this is getting tens or hundreds of thousands of citizens stressed until enough public attention gives some small chance of redress. I'm not calling for violence, but if we can't get these things fixed in court there has to be a more effect and more forceful avenue for protest than venting on internet forums.

I saw a clip the other day of an American comedian doing crowd work in Paris. He asked the audience what America should do, and the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. To me that sounds crazy! But, I can see how it works for the French. They protest all the time, and the government is very responsive to the needs of the people. Much more so than the American gove…

It is much more than that, egalitarianism is fundamental to French culture.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#443

It's exhausting that the "solution" to problems like this is getting tens or hundreds of thousands of citizens stressed until enough public attention gives some small chance of redress. I'm not calling for violence, but if we can't get these things fixed in court there has to be a more effect and more forceful avenue for protest than venting on internet forums.

I saw a clip the other day of an American comedian doing crowd work in Paris. He asked the audience what America should do, and the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. To me that sounds crazy! But, I can see how it works for the French. They protest all the time, and the government is very responsive to the needs of the people. Much more so than the American gove…

> the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this as well. Do these people want "punching the police and lighting things on fire" to be a freely permitted form of free speech?

If so, should anyone be legally allowed to destroy any amount of stuff, for any reason they feel unhappy about? Or is this a case of "blowing stuff up should only be permitted for causes I like, not for causes I dislike"?

If not, do they see the irony in endorsing behaviors that they simultaneously believe should not be legalized?

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#444
post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a lot of arson at BLM protests, and plenty of people beaten in the street, some of whom were in no way asking for it. The majority of the violence probably was the cops though.

Watch any random sampling of body cam footage and you won't think the majority of violence was the cops. I'm amazed at the restraint honestly. Now when I was a kid...getting thrown into a paddywagon while hammered after mouthing off to a cop was a right of passage.

Do you think the selection of what body cam footage cops make available is without bias?

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#445
This is why people donate land to orgs like The Nature Conservancy.

Although even there, if you donate land in a location they feel they won't be able to manage, they may sell it to purchase other land/pad the endowment. In theory they will end up being land swaps if you wait long enough, but nana's favorite tree could still end up under a Walmart.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#446
post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution here might be the appeals court, since there is a deed restriction. The city agreed to it when they paid $10 for the land. The article mentions that Texas courts tend to be pretty serious about enforcing deed restrictions.

That property was transferred multiple times after the farmer gave it away. I can’t tell if that save deed restriction followed those sales

Encumbrances and easements tend to follow the land even if they aren’t explicitly mentioned in the deed in question from the most recent transaction. They must be explicitly struck. Source: land attorney when asked this question about a deed restriction from a past deed. It was about NH real estate law, but I was told this was a general principle. It’s part of the reason title searches are done. The effective deed is a fold over the sequence of deeds.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#447
post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw a clip the other day of an American comedian doing crowd work in Paris. He asked the audience what America should do, and the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. To me that sounds crazy! But, I can see how it works for the French. They protest all the time, and the government is very responsive to the needs of the people. Much more so than the American gove…

> the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. I'm trying to wrap my head around this as well. Do these people want "punching the police and lighting things on fire" to be a freely permitted form of free speech? If so, should anyone be legally allowed to destroy any amount of stuff, for any reason they feel unhappy about? Or is this a case of "blowing stuff up should…

Maybe in their eyes those are the less-violent alternatives than their other options.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#448
post #421
post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Literally in the article is a proposed development that is (easily) walkable from residential houses.

Who the hell wants to walk to data centers? From residential houses or whatever.

One of the key skills of a software developer is inference and you guys need to go get some more coffee and come back and try reading this thread again.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#449
post #418

It’s so funny how data centers became a popular boogieman on social media. Modern information warfare

I don't want a massive industrial looking building across the road from my house, nor do I want the noise or traffic or anything else that comes along with it. I'm not sure it's information warfare as much as garden variety NIMBY people doing what they do best. . . . Making noise constantly.

Re: A Farmer Donated Land to Turn into a Park. The City Is Building a Data Center

#450
post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw a clip the other day of an American comedian doing crowd work in Paris. He asked the audience what America should do, and the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. To me that sounds crazy! But, I can see how it works for the French. They protest all the time, and the government is very responsive to the needs of the people. Much more so than the American gove…

> the French said - something like - they should punch the police more and light things on fire. I'm trying to wrap my head around this as well. Do these people want "punching the police and lighting things on fire" to be a freely permitted form of free speech? If so, should anyone be legally allowed to destroy any amount of stuff, for any reason they feel unhappy about? Or is this a case of "blowing stuff up should…

> god forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion - Thomas Jefferson
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