Eminent Domain Report

Under Arizona’s Constitution, as under its federal counterpart, a condemning authority may acquire private property if the use to which the acquired property will be put is a proper public use. From the outset of any contemplated acquisition, it is imperative that a governmental entity determine that the purpose for the acquisition will constitute a public use. This article summarizes some of the law governing public use.

A judge must determine that a proposed use is “really public” once an eminent domain action is filed. Ariz. Const. Art. 2, §17; A.R.S. § 12-1132(A). Though ...

When a municipality acquires private property in an eminent domain case, it must first pay just compensation to the property owner. The municipality must file a complaint—a lawsuit—asking the appropriate court to enter a final order of condemnation, vesting title to the property in the municipality. Litigation can take years as the amount that the municipality must pay to the property owner is generally determined by a jury trial—at the very end of the lawsuit’s life.

This can be challenging for municipalities with tight project timelines or an immediate need to put the land ...