Kaufman County Eminent Domain Lawyer

Unfortunately, the power of eminent domain allows the government to take your property, and there is little you can do to stop them. But what you can do is make sure that you’re properly compensated for the loss of your property. The government will try to low ball you with settlement offers and will try to make sure the lowest amount possible is awarded to you if the matter ever goes to court. At Guest and Gray Law Firm we’ll fight the government to make sure that Kaufman county residents get the payment they deserve for their property. Call us at (972) 564-4644 to set up a free initial consultation so we can discuss your specific situation.

Eminent domain comes up when the state is building a new highway. Or it can come up when a city needs space for a new manufacturing plant or other large business that could help the local economy. In Kaufman County, it is an issue when the city of Dallas uses eminent domain to take property so that they can run pipelines for water projects involving lakes in the area. The city currently has projects going on involving Lake Palestine, Lake Tawakoni, and Benbrook Lake among others.

Here are some factors to consider when determining what your land is actually worth:

• Location, location, location
• Where is your property? Is it in a growing community? Is it in a high traffic area? Is it located in a good school district? These are just some of the factors that can make your property more valuable.
• Improvements
• Improvements mean things on the property like a home. If you’ve got a home on the property, the government will obviously need to compensate you for the land and the home.
• Commercial viability
• This is somewhat dependent on location, but does your property have any potential commercial uses? Could a business purchase your property? Could your property be of value to cellular companies or oil companies?

As I said, the government will contact you and try to offer you an amount of money to purchase your property without having to litigate the matter. But they’re obviously interested in spending as little as possible. The city attorneys who handle these issues for the city constantly have to go back to the city council to see how much money they can spend.

When you hire us to handle your case for you, we will first gather evidence to present to the city in order to facilitate a fair settlement. This often involves getting a proper appraisal of the value of your property. But if the city won’t come to a reasonable agreement with us, it is left up to a third party to determine the fair price the city should have to pay. In Kaufman County, the case is first heard by a group of special commissioners which are just people in the community appointed by the judge to hear these matters. If either side is not satisfied with the amount the commissioners decide is fair. Either side can appeal the matter to the judge.

If you’re facing an issue where some government entity is taking your property, contact our eminent domain attorney at Guest and Gray Law Firm. We’ll make sure you get the price you deserve for your property. Call (972) 564-4644.