Eminent Domain Report

In 2024, the Supreme Court upended decades of California precedent when it held that legislatively enacted development impact fees must satisfy the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” tests established in Nollan v. California Coastal Commission and Dolan v. City of Tigard, respectively. However, the Supreme Court did not decide whether the legislatively enacted fee program challenged by Sheetz actually failed to comply with Nollan / Dolan. Instead, it remanded that issue back to the California courts so that they could address the issue in the first ...

Conservation easements generally preserve land in a predominantly natural or agricultural state. The efforts behind these easements often go unappreciated. The same is true for the notice requirements that correspond with the acquisition of property encumbered by a conservation easement. Failing to heed these notice requirements can impede acquisition efforts and add cost and delay to public projects.

Code of Civil Procedure section 1240.055 sets forth valuation and notice requirements for acquiring conservation easements under threat of condemnation in California.* It ...

During the past several years, California legislators have been pushing through new legislation to increase potential housing opportunities in California. In October, Governor Newsom signed California Senate Bill 79 (SB 79), which opens up new residential developments near rail and bus stations in major California communities. Specifically, SB 79 creates rules to override local zoning regulations related to height and density for sites near transit-oriented development stops and applies to the “urban transit communities” of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Alameda ...

When public agencies or utilities move forward with infrastructure projects, one of the most critical steps is determining exactly what property rights must be acquired. Too often, agencies focus solely on the permanent footprint of the project, only to discover late in the process that they lack authority for construction activities, staging areas or access. Early project planning on the front end helps avoid costly delays, litigation and redesign.

Existing Rights

The first analysis should always be – what rights are already in place? Many agencies or utilities hold ...