Clement, Williams, & Crump: Wronged Citizens or Avaricious Vultures?

How old were you when you first heard about the possibility of a Patton Island Bridge? If you're like most of us, you were so young that you can't remember the exact date--or perhaps weren't even born when this wonder-way was first envisioned. While plans for the bridge finally came to fruition a few years ago, sadly, the connecting roadways on the Colbert side of what is now Singing River Bridge are still being held up by two sets of landowners.

Unlike the residents of Lawrence Avenue in Florence's Edgemont subdivision who were faced with losing personal property on which they lived, we doubt that John Clement, Danny D. Williams, or Raynell Crump purchased the two disputed tracts of land on which to build homes; Wilson Dam Road in Muscle Shoals has always been a prime location for business. No, Clement, Williams, and Crump purchased these two tracts for investment purposes and now feel they will not receive the desired return on their investments from the State of Alabama.

From the TimesDaily:

DOT needs 3.38 acres of Clement's property and offered him $373,500 for it. But Clements (sic) wants $1.3 million for it, which is more than his entire 78.24-acre tract appraised for in 2009. DOT needs .774 acre of the Williams/Crump property to pave beyond the intersection. DOT offered them $241,000, but they want $306,000. Thus, a stalemate.

Clement is a Shoals attorney. His asking over 20 times the appraised value of the land does indeed seem avaricious. We won't call Danny Williams and Raynell Crump complete vultures, but obviously three-quarters of an acre would accommodate few businesses, and $65,000.00 is quite a sum for the State (read: taxpayers) to overpay the duo.

Now, the State plans to bring suit against Clement, Williams, and Crump--a suit for which both sides (again, the taxpayers) will have to foot the bill. We hope the tyrannical trio will reconsider and do the right thing.

What's up with this: We hear that UNA has solved a number of car break-in cases on the campus. We also hear the student charged is quite well known in some circles. We look for more info to be forthcoming within the next few weeks.

Shoalanda