One reason some Florida property owners are hesitant to hire a lawyer is that they worry it will cause them to end up in the courtroom. These property owners fear that hiring an attorney will cause a near-certain trial, which will cause a significant disruption in their lives.
While understandable, this fear is almost always not justified. In Florida, an eminent domain trial is a far from certain event. the Fixel Law Firm attorneys, for example, have settled (without going to trial) approximately 95% of the thousands of Florida eminent domain matters they have handled. Many of these matters were even resolved pre-lawsuit, without utilizing the court system at all.
Many more were settled after suit was filed, but well before trial. One effective tool utilized by the Fixel Law Firm attorneys to settle many of these eminent domain lawsuits is mediation. Mediation is a formal settlement negotiation that occurs outside the courtroom. It is led by a neutral third-party attorney, who earnestly discusses with both the property owner and the condemning authority the pros and cons of their cases.
The Fixel Law Firm’s attorneys have successfully mediated all types of Florida eminent domain cases with a variety of condemning authorities. One reason the Fixel Law Firm attorneys have succeeded in mediating these cases is that they believe a primary goal of mediation is to determine the maximum amount of money and additional non-monetary benefits the condemning authority will offer to settle a case. Once this offer is revealed, the Fixel Law Firm attorneys will advise, analyze, and make recommendations to their property owner clients about the potential settlement.
This honest and educated assessment assists the Fixel Law Firm’s clients in making informed decisions about their case, and it often results in the Fixel Law Firm’s clients obtaining full compensation without the burden of trial.
If you own property in Florida that may be subject to an eminent domain taking and you have a question about the potential mediation of your matter, or any other eminent domain issue, please contact the Fixel Law Firm’s firm partner, William Fixel, by e-mail at wfixel@fixelfirm.com or by telephone toll-free at 1-800-848-7535.