The eminent domain cases you read about in the news are often dramatic battles between landowners trying to save their property and companies who are trying to take the property. While some eminent domain cases do go to trial, many are resolved well before that stage. This is because many cases involve successful settlement negotiations between the landowners and the company or government entity.

One example of how cases can be settled out of court involves several Illinois landowners affected by the Dakota Access and Keystone pipelines. Now that those projects have resumed, many landowners in South Dakota and Iowa are back to fighting against easements to their land. However, the cases involving Illinois landowners reportedly were settled relatively peacefully a while ago and construction has been completed.

With their attorneys, landowners entered into individual negotiations to ensure they received just compensation for the easements on their land. While some landowners initially tried to fight the project, there was nowhere near the intensity of conflict as in other affected states. In short, the Pike County Farm Bureau executive director said the company behind the pipeline made acceptable offers to the landowners, including for crop damage caused during the construction.

The above cases show that with the right representation, your rights as a landowner can be fully protected in a condemnation case. While no one wants to give up part or all of their land, it is possible to negotiate for enough compensation to make up for the inconvenience. However, pipeline companies and government entities will often try to take advantage of unrepresented landowners trying to handle their own cases. For this reason, it is critical to have an experienced eminent domain attorney who can negotiate aggressively on your behalf.

Discuss Your Case with an Illinois Eminent Domain Attorney Today

The condemnation attorneys at Sever Walker Padgitt, LLP regularly obtain the full compensation that landowners deserve in eminent domain cases. If you have received notice of a possible condemnation action regarding your property in Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, or Indiana, your first call should be to discuss your rights with our team. Contact us today at 888.318.3761 for free.

1 https://www.whig.com/20170128/issues-mostly-settled-locally-as-dakota-access-pipeline-work-to-resume