Eminent domain, in practice, is not necessarily about stopping an acquisition as much as it is about getting the right compensation for the acquisition. While it is possible to stop a taking, and Sever Storey has a track record of doing exactly that, those situations are rare and require an intensive analysis of both facts and the law. If a condemnor does not follow condemnation law, you may have an argument for stopping the taking. If the condemnor does follow the law, your likely best bet is to focus your attention on getting the right amount of compensation for what the acquisition is doing to the property.

The government must provide just compensation in exchange for the taking of any land. So what is considered to be “just?” Unfortunately, condemnors do not always operate with the landowners’ concerns in mind and will often issue low-ball offers, with the threat of eminent domain as a cudgel, to unsuspecting landowners.

With the help of an attorney, you can fight for the compensation you are entitled to under the law.

As with any move, relocating a business or home can be very costly. The government is required to provide adequate relocation compensation to cover these expenses—but many landowners get the short end of the deal.

Hiring the right attorney will allow you to increase the likelihood of being treated fairly and receiving the relocation benefits you deserve.

Some eminent domain cases can take just a few months to resolve, while other cases may draw out for 12-18 months or more. There are many factors that influence the timeline of eminent domain cases in Georgia, but the biggest driver of length of a case is the difference in negotiating positions between the parties. For example, a case where the parties are only $2,000 apart will be resolved much quicker than one where the parties are $2,000,000 apart. A qualified experienced eminent domain attorney will matriculate the case at a brisk pace while also keeping an eye toward the right resolution.

No. As a matter of principle, we recommend landowners reject condemnor’s first offer of compensation and immediately contact an experienced attorney for advice on that offer. Way too often landowners get intimidated or pressured into accepting the first offer of compensation. These landowners are possibly forfeiting thousands of dollars out of ignorance, fear, or both.

The absolute first thing you should do as a landowner when you receive your first offer of compensation is to contact an experienced eminent domain attorney. Our firm does not charge landowners for offer reviews, and we will be happy to promptly review your offer and/or appraisal for free. All you have to do is call Jordan at 1-888-318-3761 or email him at jordan@landownerattorneys.com.

The project limits are Hammond Drive from Roswell Road (State Route 9) to Glenridge Drive. The goals of this project are to improve safety, mobility, and improve pedestrian/bicycle access

Reconstructing I-285/I-20 East Interchange ramps with more direct alignments and additional lanes where warranted Constructing new collector-distributor (CD)* road along westbound I-20 and an additional lane in the eastbound I-20 CD road between the I-285/I-20 East Interchange and Wesley Chapel Road, adding auxiliary lanes along I-20 and I-285*, replacing the Miller Road and Fairington Road bridges over I-20, and the I-20 bridge over Snapfinger Creek, widening the I-285 northbound bridge over Snapfinger Road, and constructing new noise barriers where feasible and reasonable per the preliminary noise impact assessment

the I-285/I-20 West Interchange project calls for improvements of the interchange and addition of lanes along I-20 in Cobb, Douglas, and Fulton counties. Additional work includes construction of collector-distributor (CD) lanes and the modification or replacements of bridges along I-20. This project, once completed, will provide more efficient traffic flow through the interchange.

To improve mobility on I-285, Georgia DOT plans to add new, optional express lanes consisting of one new buffer-separated express lane in each direction on I-285 between I-20 and Henderson Road in DeKalb County. The I-285 Eastside Express Lanes will be part of the larger Georgia Express Lanes system.

I-75 from I-475 to SR 155 - Commercial Vehicle Lanes.

The proposed project is approximately 1.79 miles along SR 138 Jonesboro Road from Goodson Connector to Buffington Road. The project includes the modification of the SR 138 and I-85 interchange to a diverging diamond interchange. The northbound entrance ramp to I-85 and the southbound exit ramp to Jonesboro Rd/ SR 138 will be lengthen to improve capacity and merging operations. Jonesboro Rd/ SR 138 will add a shared through and right turn lanes from Goodson Connector to Lestor Road, providing 3 lanes in each direction. The project will also interconnect and upgrade the signals along SR 138 from Goodson Connector on the west to Buffington Road to the east of the interchange. Landscaping and pedestrian lighting will be improved along Jonesboro Rd/SR 138. The entire project is located in Fulton County and within the city limits of Union City.

The interchange proposed for I-85 at SR 42/North Druid Hills Road is a Displaced Left Turn Interchange (DLTI) for the westbound to southbound movement, which includes construction of an additional structure over I-85. Another key improvement is a braided ramp from I-85 NB Off-Ramp to I-85 NB Access Road. This project also includes replacing the SR 42 bridge over Peachtree Creek and constructing a bridge for the I-85 NB off-ramp, over the I-85 NB on-ramp, to the I-85 NB access road.

This project will construct a new interchange at I-185 and Old Cusseta Rd in southern Muscogee County. Other improvements include the addition of a center turn along Cusseta/Old Cusseta Rd, a new roundabout at the intersection of Old Cusseta Rd and Cusseta Rd, a new signal on Old Cusseta Rd at the SB ramps, a new roundabout on Old Cusseta Rd at the NB ramps, and 5' and 10' sidewalks along the corridor. The I-185 bridge over Old Cusseta Rd will be widened to accommodate the SB entrance ramp. Farr Rd will be relocated to the east to accommodate the new roundabout and NB entrance ramp.

The proposed project consists of widening SR 371 from SR 9 to Kelly Mill Road. The project is located west of the City of Cumming in Forsyth County. The proposed design includes two lanes in each direction with a 16 to 20-foot raised median. The project length is 3.64 miles.

Revive 285 is the name given to the improvement project on I-285 North from I-75 to I-85. Revive 285 will serve as an umbrella for a number of isolated but critical near-term fixes in the project corridor, guiding these efforts in a way that provides the most benefit for the corridor and anticipates the transportation needs of future generations. This project will identify, evaluate, and possibly enhance the most appropriate projects and programs that provide safe and efficient travel along the I-285 corridor from the I-75/I-285 interchange in Cobb County to the I-285/I-85 interchange in DeKalb County. It will also develop and advance concepts through the environmental phase of Georgia DOT's PDP, including completion of an environmental document and receipt of a Record of Decision. The resulting concept will be accompanied with a Program Management Plan identifying funding, phasing, and implementation strategies.

Rock Quarry Road project is a reconstruction project. Rock Quarry Road will be widened beginning at Eagles Landing Parkway north to SR 42/138. The total miles for the widening project is 2.60 in length. This project is located in the 13th Congressional district. Rock Quarry Road in Henry County is classified as an urban minor arterial. It is a two lane north-south facility that connects motorists from SR 42 to Eagle¿s Landing Parkway. Rock Quarry Road has intermittent turn lanes at various locations and has no continuous linear sidewalks. There are a large number of commercial and industrial businesses along the proposed project segment, as well as residential housing. This project is currently identified in the Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), Plan 2040, and is included in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This project is located within the Atlanta MPO boundary and is listed in the TIP as HE-161A.

Project 231210- & 0013628, SR 162/Salem Road involves widening Salem Road from just south of Brown Bridge Road in Newton County to Flat Shoals Road in Rockdale County from the existing 2-lane roadway to a 4-lane roadway (2 lanes in each direction). Salem Road from Flat Shoals Road to the I-20 ramps will be widened from its existing 4-lane roadway to a 6-lane roadway. A 16-ft raised is proposed for the entire length of the project. A 12-ft shoulder that includes a 5-ft sidewalk will be on the east side. A 20-ft shoulder including a 10-ft shared use path, is proposed on the west side throughout the SR 162 corridor.

Widen CR 1287 / Spout Springs Road from a 2-lane roadway to a 4-lane divided roadway with a 20 foot raised median and sidewalks. Median openings and intersections will be modified/removed accordingly. The project limits along Spout Springs Road are from I-985 to Union Circle for a total distance of 3.2 miles.

The proposed project would widen State Route (SR) 120/Abbotts Bridge Road from SR 141/Medlock Bridge Road to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard from two to four through lanes.The total project length is approximately 2.5 miles, which includes a 1500¿ tie-in to SR 120 west of SR 141 and a 1000¿ tie-in east of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Both SR 141 and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard would be improved and widened for approximately 1000¿ in each direction approaching SR 120. Parsons Road would also be improved and widened for 1250¿ south of SR 120, and Boles Road would be improved for 1000¿ north of SR 120. All other side roads would be improved to a maximum of 500¿ from SR 120. The existing SR 120 bridge would be widened and/or reconstructed across the Chattahoochee River. All signalized intersections would be modified. Existing ROW within the project corridor are approximately 60 to 130 feet. Proposed ROW would be approximately 104 to 140 feet.

The proposed project is the construction of a single lane roundabout with a 238ft. x 158ft. inscribed ellipse, pedestrian facilities and lighting at the intersection of SR 138 and CR 8 / CR 15 / East Fairview Rd. in Rockdale County. The roundabout is approximately centered on the inside of the existing intersection¿s west curve. The roundabout legs extend approximately 500ft. down East Fairview Road and SR 138 in all directions.

The SR 20 Improvements study area extends for approximately 24 miles, between I-575 in Canton and SR 400 in Cumming. Jurisdictions along the corridor including the City of Canton, unincorporated communities of Buffington, Macedonia, Orange, and Free Home in Cherokee County, as well as the unincorporated community of Ducktown and the City of Cumming in Forsyth County. The SR 20 Improvements project will conduct engineering and environmental studies to evaluate possible alternatives to relieve congestion, improve mobility, and reduce crashes along SR 20 between Canton and Cumming.

The purpose of the proposed project is to improve the operation and safety of the State Route (SR) 20 (Loganville Highway) and West Hightower Trail intersection near Conyers, Rockdale County, Georgia. the improvements will include constructing a single lane roundabout and a cul-de-sac on Chandler Road.

State Route (SR) 40 is a major east-west corridor in southeast Georgia, connecting Folkston on the west with Kingsland, I-95, & St. Marys on the east. SR 40, which is designated as a hurricane evacuation route, has been identified for widening as part of the Governor's Road Improvement Program (GRIP). The project begins on the east side of the City of Folkston at the intersection of SR 40 with SR 40 connector/Indian Trail/US 301 Connector & extends to the I-95 Interchange at Exit 6 in Camden County. The GRIP project would widen the 29-mile long SR 40 corridor to four lanes, most of it divided by a 4-foot flush median & widen an 11.47-mile portion of the SR 40 corridor between milepost 5.21 in Charlton County to County Route (CR) 66, Colerain Road MP 10.12 in Camden County.

The proposed SR 400 Express Lanes project would construct express lanes to an approximately 16-mile section of SR 400 from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) North Springs Station (Exit 5C) in Fulton County to approximately 0.9 miles north of McFarland Parkway (Exit 12) in Forsyth County.

The project is located in Greene County, beginning just north of the intersection of SR 44 and Linger Longer Rd and continues to just north of I-20, a total mainline distance of approx 7.6 miles. The project consists of widening SR 44 from the existing two-lane road to a four-lane road. The urban section, which includes a 16 foot raised median, bike lanes, sidewalk and 2 ¿ 11 ft lanes in each direction starts just north of Linger Longer Rd and cont. north to approx. 500 ft east of Carey Station Rd. The rural section, which includes a 32 foot depressed median, both an 11 ft and 12 ft lane in each direction and a bike lane on the 6.5 ft shoulder will go from approx.500 feet east of Carey Station Rd to Meadow Crest Rd. From Meadow Crest Rd to approx. 2000 feet north of the I-20 interchange the urban section will be used.

The scope of this project consists of widening and reconstruction of SR 61 from CR 467/Dallas Nebo Road to US 278/SR 120/SR 6/Dallas Bypass in Paulding County. The existing roadway is a 2-lane/3-lane section with 12ft lanes and 4ft grassed shoulders. The proposed typical section is a 4-lane section with 12ft lanes, 10ft outside shoulders with 4ft paved, and a 20ft raised median. The double 5' X 5' culvert at Mill Creek and the two single 4' X 4' box culverts are to be extended. The project is 4.3 miles long. The existing bridge structure over the Silver Comet Trail will be widened from 38 ft to 92 ft.

This project is to construct a new location, 4.7-mile connector that would provide a bypass around the historic downtown City of Monroe. The connector would begin at State Route (SR) 11 approximately 0.5 mile south of the city limits, extend eastward, and end at SR 83. Construction would terminate at SR 83; however, the connector would tie into the existing intersection of James Huff Road and SR 10/US 78. The proposed typical section along the SR 83 Connector would consist of two 12-foot lanes (one travel lane in each direction) with 10-foot outside shoulders (6.5 feet paved). At intersection locations, single 12-foot right and left-turn lanes would be provided. The existing segment of James Huff Road/SR 83 would remain as a two-lane roadway for approximately 0.73 miles from SR 83 at SR 83 Connector and would remain as a four-lane roadway with 12-foot travel lanes with a combination of a raised and depressed median for approximately 0.48 miles leading to SR 83 at SR 10/US 78.