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Jimminiy, you are to be commended for at least standing up for what you believe is right anyway!

I personally think the Brandon hill is the perfect place for a new hospital and will re vitalize the area more than any of us can visualize. Please take all of this into consideration along with the offer made to you, and educate the rest of your neighbors of the benefits.

 

I disagree, it isn't the perfect place.  It's going to cause ridiculous congestion at that intersection by the bridge.  It's going to cause noise and light pollution and traffic for the surrounding neighbors.  The people living on the perimeter will find themselves facing a parking lot every day when they walk out their front doors.  They were talking about closing streets, so they may even find themselves living at a dead end, or having to move their driveways because the street's been shut off.  Services at the church behind Brandon will be interrupted by ambulance sirens. At least 50 homeowners are going to be displaced, not to mention people who rent.  Then, after the hospital is built they're going to continue to try to expand, so more and more people will find themselves being harassed by hospital lawyers who want to force them off their property.  The property values nearby will go up, but that also means that those people's property taxes will go up.  Some of these old folks can't afford to pay more than what they already are.  I do agree that we could use a new hospital, but I don't feel like this is the ideal or fair location for it.  They'll be blocked in by residential houses and have more trouble expanding than if they went for that place on Savannah Highway or a variety of other places.  They will need spare acres to expand, and here they will get only the bare minimum and then hope that they can buy up the surrounding lots later.  What if they can't?

 

Another thing: Regional Care isn't a rich company.  They are going to build this hospital using $250 billion dollars that they have borrowed.  ECM operates in the red all the time, they aren't making a profit.  What makes them think this new hospital will be much different?  What if the economy takes a dive again in a year or two and the interest rate on their loan goes through the roof?  The whole project could fall through.  Even if I did want to sell, I'd be refusing to sign any contracts until it was clear that they really were going to build.  As in, they had the bulldozers lined up and waiting.

As a few points of correction....

RCH Systems did not borrow $250 Billion dollars.  They are supported by a mulittude of investment companies, and the venture they are talking about is a $250 Million dollar construction.

The "Savanah Highway" site is not a site that most people want.  It is located essentially out of town and moves the main hospital unit away from the city center. This is not what is best for the development of a new hospital nor it is convenient to those who intend to use it.

As I understand the proposal is based on contention that the CON is approved, of which there is nothing legally that can be done to prevent it, though it might be held up due to court contest. Therefore if the property is offered and a deal is made, it is contentious among the CON approval, but the hospital will be built.

It is ludicrous to continue to think that theBrandon  site is not a good one.  I can think of only one other site which would bealmost as good, but none are as good as this one. No one likes change, but you are being offered something that most people who are faced with change do not have, and that is a very good and viable solution to the problem.

Regardless of the fact, anyone could come in later and buy the Brandon school building and build something there much worse. It is an opportunity to change the outlook of the area for the better, and I don't think the traffic problems are anything to worry about.  I travel that road everyday, and seriously doubt you are going to see much heavier traffic that you get now.

Just talked to the neighbor, the appraisers have already been making rounds.  They called her at 6: 30 last night to tell her they'd come this morning.  They came and took pictures and were fairly rude about the whole thing, frightened her dog, and refused to tell her what the appraisal amount would be.  "The hospital is my client, not you." they said.  That sort of thing hacks me right off.  It's not like she invited him, he invited himself and then was a jerk.  But they aren't coming inside my house, not without a warrant.  This whole thing is going to turn nasty, you mark my words.

I am going to hire my own appraiser if it comes to that, but nobody who is being paid by the hospital will be allowed inside my house.  

 

I am considering telling them I'll sell them the land, but that they will move the house at their expense.  And they'll buy me the new land it's going on, and they'll put me a new fence up.  I just had mine put up last spring and it was very expensive.  I'm not buying a new one just because they want to uproot me.  And speaking of roots, they're going to move my trees and my azalea bush, too.

 

But I won't offer to do that until everybody else has already sold.  I'd hold out to keep my land too, but do I really want to live next to a hospital if they decide to build it anyway?  No, I do not.

Originally Posted by Jimminy Crickets:

I am going to hire my own appraiser if it comes to that, but nobody who is being paid by the hospital will be allowed inside my house.  

 

I am considering telling them I'll sell them the land, but that they will move the house at their expense.  And they'll buy me the new land it's going on, and they'll put me a new fence up.  I just had mine put up last spring and it was very expensive.  I'm not buying a new one just because they want to uproot me.  And speaking of roots, they're going to move my trees and my azalea bush, too.

 

But I won't offer to do that until everybody else has already sold.  I'd hold out to keep my land too, but do I really want to live next to a hospital if they decide to build it anyway?  No, I do not.

________________

Get your own appraisal.  Find a good realtor or lawyer or CPA (realtor would be my preference in this case), and see if they will help you with negotiations.  You have a lot of emotional attachment that can get in the way of making a good deal.  In reality you aren't going to tell them anything, but you may be able to negotiate a better deal than their first offer based on their appraisal. The one thing you don't want to be is the last person to sell.  By then you have NO bargaining power, and they can even choose to leave you there until you beg them to buy you out.

Actually all you're doing is being a jerk.  Other people are trying to be helpful but all they're doing is being unsympathetic and hurtful.  It's funny how everybody seems to think that the hospital has all the power, too.  They can't just come knock my house down without my consent unless the city decides to condemn it for some legitimate reason.  There's a guy on Wilson Dam Road who's held out for years against them expanding the road into his property.  And that's a government project, they could claim eminent domain.  

Jimminy, I think many have not been helpful because we didn't realize the depth of your feelings on the matter. If there is no way you would ever consider selling, my advice is to poll the homeowners who actually live in the extended four block area. Remember, sources have told us the extra four blocks could just be icing on the cake since the basic two block area has more than enough land area for the hospital and cancer center.

 

Once you find others who don't want to sell, begin to research legal precedents. If there are 20 families who join against the sale, you should be able to pool 50 or 100 bucks each and hire an attorney to give you some basic advice. If you find one sympathetic to your cause, his/her fee may not be exorbitant.

 

Pigg has stated the contracts have to be signed by October. Each family should write him a letter and give him a firm "no" right now. We know they've looked at other property, so they do have a Plan B. It's not going to be the end of the world for RegionalCare if they don't build on the Brandon Block.

Originally Posted by Jimminy Crickets:

Do you think I haven't already done that?  I've only talked to two people who want to sell.  The majority are against it, especially the old folks.  We're going to get together and talk about it next week.

Are the actual majority renters or owner occupied?  Are any of the owners who rent it out and don't live in the house against selling?  I can't imagine so.

Most of the landlords of the rentals want to sell, but the vast majority of these houses are not rentals, whatever RegionalCare wants everybody to believe.  There are exactly two rental houses on my block and one on the block in front of mine.  There might be three or four on the next block towards Brandon, and zero on the block in front of it.  Even if every rental owner wants to sell, they do not outnumber the homeowners who do not.  So far I know of just four homeowners who want to sell.

One person who wasn't going to sell has decided to.  The guy who owns the Home Owners' Association building has refused to sell, last I heard.  I've got an appointment to go chat with the hospital reps tomorrow so I can refuse their offer and give them a friendly cease and desist letter.   I heard that Huntsville Hospital is challenging the CON for the new hospital.  Our district's city councilman says they can't use eminent domain or condemn any houses or force anyone out, and Regional Care can't force anybody to take their offer.  If they've got 30 contracts signed that's about half the properties they want, but I'm willing to bet that that's the majority of rental houses and a couple that were for sale already.  Also, the city of Florence owns most of these empty lots, and those are probably included in the 30.  I'm sure Florence bought them up a few years ago with the intention of selling them now for a profit.  How convenient for them.  

 

I happen to be out on the fringe, so I don't think my refusal to sell will affect whether the hospital gets built or not.  Someone closer in may very well be able to throw a wrench in the machine.  We will see what happens.

It is no real surprise that Huntsville Hospital is going to dispute the CON, they have made it known from the beginning that they did not want a new hospital in this area.  Does it surpise you or make you wonder why Athens and Madison deserves a new hospital, yet the people of this area do not?.  The city and hospital have already said they do not plan to use Imminent Domain on homeowners, why should they. Keller Hospital is also going to dispute the CON, and the hearing is to be held Nov 6th, right down the street from you in the Marriot Convention Center.

Good luck with your meeting with the hospital, hopefully they can offer you something that will make it easier for you to sondier the implications for the whole area.

JC, I don't know if it is totally open to the public, at least for comment, but I am sure portions of it will be.  It will be on public notice.  The hearings are scheduled to begin on November 6.  It will defintely be a big story in the papers, as armies of lawyers from all sides will descend to our area for the hearings.

I just got back from meeting with the hospital reps.  They said things are going well and if I don't sell my house that won't stop them from building.  Their appraisal was actually less than the tax appraisal on my house, which has so far been the rule.  They're appraising these houses at less than what they're worth and then doubling that.  I laughed in their faces, of course.  I'm not the only one who has refused, but most of the others are out on the fringe, too.

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