eminent domain

[rws]

Just wandering if anybody has run into the state taking property for new highways, I have 75 acres on the side of the road the highway is going, with about 50 acres fensed in, 23 acres pasture and the rest is woods. They are only taking about 20 to 25 acres but what they are taking is 3/4 of my pasture. The woods are mainly hillside not worth clearing and this about puts me out of raising cattle except for maybe just a few head. I know they pay fair market value for the property but dought they would go across the road and fense in equal amount of property I have enough hay fields that could be fensed in but thats alot of work and fense cost about 2 dollars a foot around here. Need lots of comments please

 

[shorty]

Try to get extra out of them to cover your extra costs for fencing , It's worth a try anyway

 

[Medic24]

Find and hire a professional that will advocate for you with the powers to be, they have the talent, the skills, and backround to know all the ins and outs of the business.

 

[V_Key]

to have your new fence built for you and make it part of the purches price

 

[eric]

Around here the state almost always hires a contractor to replace any fence they take out. I've seen them put up fences on both sides of new roads they've cut, so it should'nt be too much of a problem. Make sure you get extra $$ for the pasture that's fenced in, sense it was an inprovement you made, just like building a barn or any other improvements you might have made on the property.

 

[dun]

You might give some thought to contacting the local newspaper or tv station. They frequently have a "trouble shooter" type of deal that just dearly love to get their fingers into uncles pie.
Back a number of years ago they changed the road in front of this place. The neighbor used to have a nice contiguous 80 acres. Now there are 15 acres in one chunk that adjoins the front of this place another 5 that's across the road from the main farm and is pretty much a church parking lot. The rest is on the other side of the road. Really screwed up what used to be a pretty nice farm and easy to work.

dun

 

[Scotty]

I was told one time in a civics class to turn down the first offer. The second will be better. But to never turn down the second because then they will condem your property and don't have to pay you anything. Anyway that is what I hear in Texas. I love my state but if they want it bad enough they will take it. The only alternative is to do as dun said and get an advacate. In my case Texas has more money so its not worth it. What I mean is people have already "taken a stand" and the results are the same. Buyt I would ask all the questions you can think of concerning the location of th raod and it alignment. They might(probly not) change a little. I feel for you. I have had this same thing happen to my father.



Scotty

 

[jerry27150]

just a thought but you might get them to buy it all or buy you adifferent place

 

[R.T.]

Austin American Statesman article today about Texas 130
highway. Land owners that sold without a fight received 71%
less than the land that went thrugh the condemned process.
example 5.055 acre for 530,000 next condemned lot 5.061 acre
sold for $836,733. my example show about 57%. I just picked
from the top of the article. This land is all near Hutto Texas.

 

[TheBullLady]

If you can't come to an agreement on price, it will eventually go before a judge for a decision. Not only will you get to hire an attorney, but also appraisers and real estate professionals will need to appear in order to justify whatever price you're trying to get.

We're near Hwy. 6, which is being widened from Waco to College Station. I know of landowners who got $1250 an acre, and others that got $3500. It depends on your negotiating skills.