Eminent Domain Report

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 ...

In a published decision, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District rejected the California Coastal Commission's ("Commission") collateral estoppel argument and found that there is no rational nexus or rough proportionality between the work proposed by an applicant on a private residence a mile from the coast and a lateral public access easement imposed by the Commission as a condition of approval.  Accordingly, the easement condition amounted to an unconstitutional taking.  (Bowman v. Cal. Coastal Com. (Oct. 23, 2014).)

In 2002, the property owner of ...