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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Take It and Run
To the editor: When I first read about Fred Mitchell, I saw him as a poor mistreated veteran, struggling alone in the world against an uncaring city. Now I can’t help but think of him as something of a stubborn, illogical old man who doesn’t know when he’s won. Yes, he lost his wife. Yes, the city tried to screw him around and use eminent domain to take his property, but there’s the flipside: Mitchell is being offered $120,000 for a piece of land where he can stay until he dies, at which point he probably won’t care (Static, Aug. 18, 2004). Frankly, this sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me, since I’ve always been taught that you generally don’t get to make use of things that you’ve sold and been paid for.
But here’s where it gets sticky, right? Mitchell says that there’s a stipulation that he cannot sue the city for his wife’s death if he chooses to sell the city his property (complete with the live-there-until-you-die rule). I’m not one to disrespect our nation’s veterans (perhaps it’s a little late to say that at this point in my letter), as my father served in Vietnam and my grandfather fought on Attu in World War II, but ol’ Fred needs to realize he’s already won and stop “fighting the good fight.” He already proved that the city can’t screw with him, he beat back eminent domain, he beat back condemnation, and he’s gotten an offer proportionally higher than probably anything the city of Arlington has ever offered anyone. Now he needs to be a good soldier and accept his victory, because if he fights too long, and does die, then Arlington will just find a new way to take the property and keep their $120,000.
Mitchell, don’t be stupid: Sign the paper, take your $120K and go somewhere nice, somewhere expensive, and somewhere at an elevation that doesn’t have potential flooding issues.
Nathan James Rossberg
Fort Worth
Editor’s note: Rest easy, Nathan. On Monday (Aug. 23), Fred Mitchell told the Weekly: “Today I just threw in the towel. I went to City Hall and signed the damn life estate. I’ll find out if they accept in two weeks. I can’t fight it anymore. ... I’ve got to let it go, settle back, and enjoy what little life I got left.” Well, he has a little fight left in him: He signed with the stipulation that the city bump up his buyout price to $137,500. “It’s a going rate for a similar house,” he said.
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