Seattle Eminent Domain Lawyer | How is an Offer of Just Compensation Calculated?

Eminent domain law, even in Seattle, is such a scary proposition, because most people never deal with it or even hear of it until they get that letter or attend that meeting at city hall and learn that the government might be taking their land. Whether the Seattle Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, the Washington Department of Transportation, the City of Seattle, the City of Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma, or any other government agency, they all calculate your offer of just compensation in much the same way, and many times they know about as much about eminent domain as you do (which actually is not good for your bargaining power).

The eminent domain process begins by defining the right of way. Right of way is the property that is needed for the new project, whether the widening of a road or the construction of a sewer line. Once the right of way is defined, an appraiser, hopefully one that has some experience with eminent domain, is asked to value the property based on the problem presented to them. Often the problem is simply "we are taking this land, this land is left over, what do we owe the property owners." The appraisers generally get all of the properties at once and have a short amount of time to do their appraisals. This often leads to many many errors.

As a Seattle eminent domain lawyer who used to work with a government agency (though, admittedly, not in Washington State) doing their eminent domain work, I was able to see first hand the kinds of mistakes that are made on a daily basis. This included not adjusting at all for the subject property, using the same comparable sales across the board, even for different property types, and failing to recognize any damage to the remaining property as a result of the take.

If your property is being taken by eminent domain in the Seattle area or throughout Washington State, give CMS Law Firm LLC a call today. We'll give you an initial consultation for free, review your offer on the government's dime (they have to pay up to $750 to have your offer reviewed), and if we think the government has erred in their valuation of your property, we don't get paid unless we get you something over your initial offer. The Washington eminent domain process is not easy to navigate. Call us today so we can help you get the money for your property you deserve.