Stan Cramer and Cramer Airport Parking has lost round one to the Harrisburg (PA) International Airport. Read about it here.
Here the back story: Stan Cramer has the best possible location for an off airport parking facility, just outside the entrance to the airport. He’s been successful there for decades. The airport has built a new parking structure and is struggling against Stan’s competition — so they decided to put him out of business by first attempting to buy, and then using eminent domain to take his business.
Stan says that the numbers just aren’t realistic. The airport says it wants to expand its cargo operation and that is in the better interest of the public.
The state attorney general had filed a suit to prevent the take over. Last week a judge threw it out.
However, all is not completely lost — I have learned that the state will continue and most likely be involved when the local court takes up the eminent domain case. It should also be pointed out that the judge did say:
"The court would be remiss if it did not acknowledge
the obvious anti-competitive impact of the taking,"
Conner noted."It is not unsympathetic to the concerns expressed in
the complaint. However, these concerns must be addressed in
the eminent domain proceedings and the court is confident
that the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County will ensure
that the taking satisfies constitutional requirements of
public use and just compensation."
The judge threw this out based on the legal direction the attorney general took, the idea of this being an "anti trust" case, and not on whether this eminent domain action is consititutional or not. That will, as he notes above, for another court to decide.
In the mean time, Stan Cramer stands alone against the power of the airport and its so called right to take his property.
Where is the parking industry? Should we be standing side by side with Stan? I haven’t heard of any of our national parking orgs manning the barricades. Maybe I just missed the news release.
J
