Man’s law vs. nature’s law
“For a decade now the people of Dunnellon and developer Jerry Dodd have been at odds over his plans to develop a 265-acre residential and commercial development along more than a mile of the Rainbow River. To the people who love the river, the nearly 350 homes and 100,000 square feet of commercial space proposed represent the latest, greatest threat to the Rainbow’s survival. To Dodd, the repeated attempts to stop and minimize his development are violations of his legal and property rights.
On Monday, the latest skirmish in this ongoing battle took place in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Steve Rogers in Ocala.
Dodd’s lawyers argued their client’s private property rights had been violated and had cost him millions. He is suing the city for $7.7 million under the state’s 1995 Bert J. Harris Private Property Right Protection Act designed to compensate landowners who can prove they have been financially harmed by unfair government actions.”
Ocala Star Banner 14 January 2014.