Eminent Domain

What is eminent domain? What is condemnation? What am I entitled to?

Eminent domain is the most immediately obvious and clear form of a taking. In the event of eminent domain, private property is acquired by a public entity for public use by means of government power. This is generally a long but pretty straightforward process. A property owner is approached by a public entity to take either some or all of their property for a public use (such as a roadway, park, utilities, etc), and in exchange, the property owner receives just compensation proportionate to the property taken (State of Utah Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman, Takings and Eminent Domain, n.d.). Eminent Domain is sort of the basic taking that everyone learns about in high school. It is common for local governments to exercise eminent domain when building or expanding roads and intersections. Just compensation, which is entitled to the property owner, is determined via the fair market value of the property among other things.

Notes:

1. This article is part of a greater analysis, that analysis can be found in it's entirety here.

2. Disclaimer: The author of this article is NOT an attorney. The information provided in this document is provided for educational purposes only and is NOT considered legal advice.

References

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