OCA Blog

On May 1, 2020 the N.C. Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the just compensation judgement in Chappell v. N.C. Dep’t of Transportation, No. 51PA19-1 (May 1, 2020). Chappell is the follow up to the N.C. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Kirby v. North Carolina Dep’t of Transportation, No 56PA14-2 (June 10, 2016), in which the court held that the “Map Act,” a statute by which NCDOT designated vast swaths of...

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After being chased by police for stealing clothing from a Walmart, a man barricaded himself in a house in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Over a 19 hour period, using explosives and a battering ram attached to an armored personnel carrier, the local police department’s SWAT team intentionally destroyed the landowner’s house to force the fugitive to surrender. Afterwards, they offered the family $5,000 “to help with temporary living expenses.” The family sued,...

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In one of the first comprehensive court opinions on an issue of national interest, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected business owners’ challenges to the recent shut down orders issued by Governor Tom Wolf in response to COVID-19 on various legal grounds. Ruling that the orders were supported by a compelling public health rationale and were not a regulatory taking of property because they were temporary in nature, the court...

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OCA Hawaii member Robert Thomas joined Keli’i Akina, President and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii on April 14th for an important Webinar on Safety vs. Freedom in the time of COVID-19.  For those who missed the webinar, you can view a list of the important topics covered as well as a recording of the entire webinar by clicking here.

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OCA Affiliate member Ivy Cadle of Baker Donelson asks in his recent posting, “With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, can the government take private hotel rooms to expand the capacity to care for individuals with or exposed to the virus?” Governmental entities at every level are taking unprecedented steps to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as they work to slow transmission of the virus and to prevent health care...

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On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency under the Stafford Act in an effort to combat the spread and transmission of COVID-19 (commonly referred to as the coronavirus). Relevant to property owners across the country, the Stafford Act allows the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to exercise the right of eminent domain to immediately acquire, not only the physical facilities it needs (like buildings...

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American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (ALI CLE) has announced that Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation 2020 will be held on January 23-25, 2020 in Nashville, TN. The only CLE event for eminent domain practitioners with a national focus and reach, this conference features new topics, customizable content, and valuable networking opportunities, all in the heart of Music City. Many OCA members will be in attendance, both as...

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A New Jersey homeowner has been awarded $380,000 for the taking of part of his property for a storm protection project after being offered $750 for the same property by the State. In a trial that ended Thursday, Kevin Klingert was awarded the money for the loss of about half his oceanfront property in Brick Township. OCA Member attorney Anthony Della Pelle says about 75 similar cases remain pending...

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Many will recall the infamous Map Act that was adopted in North Carolina during the 1990’s. As a result the North Carolina Department of Transporation (NCDOT) recorded corridor maps that restricted the use of property in the path of several future road projects similar to negative easements. Although the North Carolina General Assembly repealed the maps in 2016, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that these restrictions amounted to...

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In his Condemnation and Tax Certiorari column, OCA New York Member Michael Rikon discusses partial acquisitions in condemnation cases and writes: “Within the area of consequential damages, we must explore, not only the loss in value suered by the remaining property, but the possible benefits to that remainder which are the result of the improvement for which the part taken was acquired. To further complicate things, the question arises,...

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