Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-14
AssembIyUrged
ToCurb Road
SpecuIations
Stute-Bocked Bill
Would End Deuls
On Riehts-of-W
BY GENE GOODWIN
Star Stan Correspondent

ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 14-The
Maryland Legislature today was
asked to pass a law aimed at
eliminating speculation on high
way rights-of-way.
The request came from the
State Roads Commission and the
Attorney Generals offlce. It is
q direct outgrowth Of specula-
ton cases now pending before
Montgomery and Prince Georges
County Circuit Courts, involving
former Roads Commission off,
cial Ben Du Pre-.
A bill has been drafted by
Joseph D. Buscher, special as
sistant attorney general assigned
to the Roads Commission. He
said it proposes a law for Mary
land patterned after anti =
speculation laws in effect in
Pennsylvania and New York.
Senate President Louis l..
GoldStein said he is very much
In favor of Mr.. Buscher's bill in
principle and will introduce 1t
If some minor changes can be
made.
Open Letter Offered
In an open letter to all mem
bers of the Legislature, distrib-
uted today, Mr.. Buscher states:
During the past year, I have
become even more aware Of the
fact that land spectators,
through various real estate ma
nipulations, have been causing
the State Roads Commission, In
many cases, to pay far more
for the land needed for road
purposes than the land is worth
There is evidence that some
Of these manipulations by spec
ulators may have been illegal
It is also quite evident that
many Of the activities Of the
spectators are entirely legal
and nothing can be done about
them under our existing laws.
The practice of land SPECTATORS.
In my opinion, is costing the
State Roads Commission Of
Maryland vast sums of money
each year In connection with its
land acquisition program.
within the past several
months, the grand juries of both
Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties have urged a reform
In Maryland's condemnation
laws that would tend to curb
land speculation. The Green
Commission, after a study of
the State Roads Commission
made during 1855. also reached
the conclusion that the condem-
nation laws should be given
careful consideration and study
Price Freeze Effect
ut is the feeling Of the At
torney Generals Office and the
State Roads Commission that
In view Of the foregoing. they
would be doing less than theil
duty if they did not present tc
the members of the General AS
sembly, for their consideration
a proposed law that would elm.
mate, or tend to eliminate. land
speculation"
Under the bill Mr.. Buschel
proposes the Roads Commission
would be required to file center.
line plats showing the length
and width of proposed new high.
ways. That would have the eff.
feet Of Immediately freezing thu
value Of the right-of-way fol
one year.
At the time of the filing thu
commission would have to de.
post with the county Circuit
Court a check to cover what i
has determined to be the fail
market value Of all the land Il
be acquired along the route.
Then negotiations between tn,
property owner and the Stat
would begin. If they were no
able to agree within six months
the case would go to a three
member Board of Property Re.
view appointed by the court
The board would have the powe,
to survey the property itself ant
hold informal hearings.
One member of the boart
would have to be a lawyer, on,
would have to have some engi
neering background and the thirt
would be the lay member.
If the boards decision wa
unsatisfactory to either the com
mission or the property owner
either could have the right t,
appeal to the court within 8
days and have the case deter
mined by a jury as is done now