Frequently Asked Questions

The estimated time for a condemning authority to begin the eminent domain process will vary according to circumstances.

Indeed, every infrastructure project has three phases:  (1) planning and design; (2) right of way acquisition; and (3) project construction.  The timing of the second of these three phases is what will determine when the eminent domain – condemnation process will occur for the project affecting your property, and it is dependent on many factors, including when funding for right of way is scheduled to be spent.

If you have questions about the timing of a project that affects your property, please contact William Fixel or Joe Fixel either by telephone toll free at (800) 848-7535, or email at wfixel@fixelfirm.com.

Sometimes, it is possible to prevent the condemning authority from taking property.  When that is not possible or wanted by the property owner, the most desirable result and the most feasible thing to do is to secure all of the compensation you are entitled to by law.

While the condemning authority will have skilled acquisition agents, attorneys, and appraisers working for it, Florida law does not require the condemning authority to fully inform you of the risks associated with being the target of condemnation, and the condemning authority rarely attempts to do so.

The condemning authority’s focus is generally on designing its project to serve its purpose, not on identifying, disclosing, and fully accounting for the project’s negative impacts to your remaining property or business. This creates significant risks for you, the property owner or affected business, because these impacts can be serious, permanent, and not apparent until the project is complete.

A few examples of these unapparent negative impacts include unfavorable drainage consequences, driveway connection problems, and detrimental road elevation changes.

In addition, the condemning authority may not fairly appraise what you should be paid for the property it seeks to acquire from you.  Without an experienced eminent domain team, like the ones led by the Fixel Law Firm, working on your behalf, you may not be paid fairly for the property acquired, and the condemning authority may never pay for, or even address, certain negative impacts to remainder property.

Florida law obligates condemning authorities to be responsible for a court determined amount of attorney fees which the Fixel Law Firm will accept as full payment for representing its clients to secure their compensation for property acquired and damages to remaining property.  Clients with these real estate claims will not receive a bill and will not be responsible for paying the Fixel Law Firm for pursuing these claims.

This policy of the Fixel Law Firm is based on Florida constitutional law which recognizes that full compensation received by those property owners subject to the eminent domain process should not be diminished as a result of property owners having to pay attorneys’ and experts’ fees and costs. In contrast, because the Florida constitution does not recognize business damages as part of full compensation, condemning authorities are not responsible in some circumstances for sufficiently paying the Fixel Law Firm for legal services directed to adequately prepare and timely submit business damage claims.  In those circumstances, given the anticipated complexity and significant time necessary to prepare a compelling business claim, the business may be responsible for paying the Fixel Law Firm no more than a ten to fifteen percent portion of only its business damage recovery, with the understanding that there will be no fee if no business damage recovery occurs. Again, as to real estate claims, clients of the Fixel Law Firm will not be responsible for paying the Fixel Law Firm anything.

The sooner, the better. The Fixel Law Firm will closely monitor the condemning authority’s plans and will keep you fully informed as those plans evolve and related activities occur which may affect your property. In addition, there are beneficial pre-condemnation planning steps that can be taken when the condemning authority’s initial design activities become known.

Just a few examples of the Fixel Law Firm’s recommended pre-condemnation planning include:

• • Carefully limiting communications with representatives and appraisers of the condemning authority who later may not accurately recall what has been communicated or who may improperly use such communications;

• • Avoiding confrontations with the local property tax assessor since a property owner’s position that property is assessed at too high a value can undermine the credibility of the property owner’s eminent domain appraiser;

• • Applying for and securing rezoning, plat approval or a building permit, if possible and it is anticipated the condemning authority might contend that these types of development authorizations are not obtainable;

• • Avoiding having the threat of condemnation lead to listing a property or business for sale at a price less than its real value;

• • Including equitable and adequate language in any option or sales agreement to ensure the intent of the buyer and seller regarding how to handle condemnation proceeds is enforceable whether or not transfer of title occurs before the eminent domain process is concluded;

• • Correcting the unintentional or unnecessary holding of contiguous parcels in different corporate or family names which if not corrected, may result in the condemning authority improperly appraising the taking and damages to remaining property;

• • Negotiating appropriate “condemnation clauses” in leases to clearly outline the landlord’s share of condemnation proceeds versus the tenant’s share;

• • Ensuring that leases reflect the intent of all concerned regarding how long the business tenant has a right to occupy the site; and

• • Extending lease terms to provide owners rental income by giving tenants an incentive to “stay in place” after tenants learn of the threat of condemnation and where practicable during the condemning authority’s construction period even though traffic counts are anticipated to be reduced.

It depends. If the Fixel Law Firm assists you in settling all issues before the condemning authority files an eminent domain lawsuit, the money will be distributed for your benefit shortly thereafter.

If you do not authorize the Fixel Law Firm to settle your claims before suit is filed, an order of taking hearing usually occurs within four to ten weeks of the lawsuit being filed. The purpose of the order of taking hearing is to provide a legal means for the condemning authority to force the conveyance of the property it desires from you without resolving the question of what you are entitled to be paid as full compensation.

At the order of taking hearing, it is likely that the judge will enter an order of taking that directs the condemning authority within 20 days to deposit in the court registry what the condemning authority represents should be full compensation. Though not always, this is usually equal to the amount of money initially offered to you by the condemning authority. This amount does not include any compensation for business damages, if those damages apply. The property subject to the order of taking is conveyed to the condemning authority by operation of law upon the timely deposit of money into the court registry.

At the order of taking hearing, the Fixel Law Firm normally requests that the judge allow the Fixel Law Firm to withdraw the initially deposited funds for the property owner’s benefit once that money has been deposited. Withdrawing this money does not waive any rights to seek additional compensation.

Securing initial deposited funds for your benefit does not jeopardize your right to seek more money for the final settlement. Once the initial money has been secured, the Fixel Law Firm will continue to seek these additional funds through the eminent domain litigation process. This process will end either with a subsequent settlement or a jury trial.

Please note that the law does not require the condemning authority to deposit any initial monies for business damage claims. It is possible, however, that there may be a deposit for trade fixtures owned by a business. If this occurs, the Fixel Law Firm will seek to secure these funds for the benefit of the business owner who is a client in a similar manner as previously described for property claims.

Whether your real estate claims have been settled before or after the condemning authority files its lawsuit, if your property is subject to a mortgage withdrawing these funds may mean crediting the mortgage account and paying a portion or all of the proceeds to the mortgage holder. This happens when language in the applicable mortgage or fairness demands that the mortgage be credited and a waiver from the mortgage holder cannot be secured.

Similarly, if there is a lien or judgment, pro rata real estate taxes are due, or an outstanding tax certificate exists, you may not receive all or any of the disbursed funds, depending on the circumstances. If not provided directly to you, the funds will be credited against the outstanding balance you owe.

No, it does not. Florida law requires the condemning authority to be responsible for paying for negative impacts to your remaining property, but it does not obligate the condemning authority to account for these impacts when it makes its settlement offer to you.  Ensuring that the condemning authority pays for all of these negative impacts is one way the Fixel Law Firm can assist you.

An example of how the condemning authority may attempt to avoid paying for negative impacts to remainder property follows.

The condemning authority likely will not fully evaluate the detrimental access, drainage, elevation, and other impacts to your remainder site resulting from the condemning authority’s planned project.  Even when this information is made available to the condemning authority’s appraiser, there is no obligation that it is properly taken into account before settlement offers are tendered to you.

This can result in the condemning authority, through its skilled right-of-way agent, convincing you to settle (via a  “deed for money” contract) without having to fully pay for these negative impacts to your remaining property.

How can this happen?  Because you may not know of all of these impacts until after you settle all of your claims, and your settlement did not reserve any enforceable future rights.

When the detrimental consequences later surface, the condemning authority will refuse to pay any compensation for these damages and avoid all responsibility by claiming that the earlier settlement was comprehensive and complete. If hired, the Fixel Law Firm attorneys, together with its team of experienced eminent domain professionals, will assist you in avoiding this result.

No. To have complete assurance that the settlement is fair, you need to obtain an independent appraisal of the value of the property taken, an analysis of the negative impacts and related loss of value to any remaining property, and if applicable a full assessment of any potential business damages claim.

Assessing and providing all of this information is one way the Fixel Law Firm, together with its team of experienced eminent domain professionals, can assist you before settlement is finalized. The Fixel Law Firm will work with its team of experienced professionals to evaluate the issues in your matter objectively, fairly, and from your perspective.

If your claims are not settled before the condemning authority files an eminent domain lawsuit, court proceedings will occur.

You do not have to be present in court for these proceedings, but if you desire to attend them, the Fixel Law Firm will encourage you to do so.  Regardless of whether you are present, if retained, the Fixel Law Firm attorneys will always appear on your behalf when these proceedings occur.