A letter arrives from a government agency. The agency needs part or all of your property for a road project, utility corridor, or other public infrastructure. Attached is an offer. The agency expects a response. Receiving that letter raises immediate questions. Does the government have the right to take your property? Is the offer fair?… Read more »
A letter arrives from a government agency. The agency needs part or all of your property for a road project, utility corridor, or other public infrastructure. Attached is an offer. The agency expects a response. Receiving that letter raises immediate questions. Does the government have the right to take your property? Is the offer fair?… Read more »
When a government agency decides to take private property for a public project, it has to pay the owner for it. The whole case usually comes down to one number: the property’s fair market value. That number is set through an eminent domain appraisal. If you have received a notice that a road, rail line,… Read more »
When a California government agency takes your property or damages it without following proper procedures, you have constitutional rights. Many property owners do not realize there are two different legal paths to challenge what happened: eminent domain and inverse condemnation. The difference between eminent domain vs inverse condemnation California property owners encounter can determine whether… Read more »
Property owners in California sometimes receive unexpected requests from government agencies asking for access to private land. These requests often involve soil testing, environmental inspections, or surveys conducted before any formal eminent domain action begins. Understanding precondemnation testing limits in California is important because it determines when the government can lawfully enter private property and… Read more »
Unanimous Court of Appeal Decision Rebuffs County of San Diego’s Attempt to Deny Owner State Constitutional Tax Benefits After Property is Taken by Eminent Domain In a published precedent setting decision handed down on July 18, 2014, the Court of Appeal held that a property owner is entitled to the full protection of Proposition 3… Read more »
In 2011, Andy and Ceil Barrie bought their dream cabin in Colorado. They had previously been residents of Chicago, but with the kids off to college they purchased the century-old cabin with hopes of using it as empty-nesters. The cabin is in a beautiful location, nestled amongst the trees and slopes of the White River… Read more »
For many in California the 2008 housing crisis never ended. Currently, thousands of California homeowners are behind or struggling to make mortgage payments on homes that simply are not worth what they agreed to pay when they took out their mortgage. To accommodate these unfortunate circumstances, a distressing number of California cities are now contemplating… Read more »
