NC 42 Widening Project in Lee County Leaves Property Owners With Questions, Concerns of Lost Value
CLAYTON, N.C. (PRWEB) January 02, 2018 -- The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s widening of NC 42, a $35-million road project affecting more than 100 properties, is finally slated to move forward.
The NCDOT will shortly begin offering to buy land from the adjacent property owners for the widening. However, the offers some property owners receive from the NCDOT may amount to far less than what their property is worth, according to former NCDOT attorneys at the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm. The NCDOT needs to pay the property owners fairly for both the land they are taking and for any damages they are causing to the owners’ remaining land. These former NCDOT attorneys suggest that rather than simply accepting these offers, these owners should first educate themselves by learning about the process, understanding what property rights are being taken, and understanding how the taking may affect their remaining property.
Former NCDOT attorneys from the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm will hold a seminar on Thursday evening, January 11, at 7 P.M. at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center which will explore property owners’ rights, explain the process, and discuss common property owner pitfalls and best practices for dealing with the NCDOT. There is no cost to attend.
Lee County property and business owners in the path of the NC 42 widening will soon receive purchase offers from state officials. According to attorney Jason Campbell, property owners should be careful – a project with this size and scope can spare a few moments to ensure citizens get a fair shake.
“Homeowners receive a very official offer and think that is the ‘law’ for what they are able to receive,” Campbell said. “If an offer has been made, there may be a more complete and satisfactory offer to be gained through reappraisal and negotiations.”
“Second Check”
By North Carolina law, property owners whose land or businesses are targeted for acquisition ultimately receive an offer from the state. If the owner chooses not to accept the offer and takes no further steps, the state will still acquire the land and deposit the amount of the original offer with the County Clerk for the owner.
This is where the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm’s “second check” approach comes in. In most cases, the property owner is then free to pursue a potentially better, fairer arrangement, without losing the first offer.
If continued negotiations do not change the offer, the owner still has the first offer. But if continued negotiations are successful, the property owner will receive a “second” check in addition to the first offer.
“We hate it when we see property owners get less money than they should, simply because they didn’t know the full extent of their rights,” said Stan Abrams, also a former NCDOT attorney with the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm.
The NC Eminent Domain Law Firm will host a free informational session on Thursday, January 11th at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center (1801 Nash Street, Sanford, NC 27330, Classroom # 103) to answer property and business owners’ key questions. Those questions typically include:
- How will the value of my property be calculated?
- Can I assume the offer for my property is fair?
- How is fair market value determined?
- What if I lease space? Will there be allowances to move my business?
- Should I get my own appraisal?
For more information about the meetings, please call the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm at 1-877-393-4990.
About:
A division of the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm is dedicated solely to representing property owners throughout North Carolina, who may be impacted by eminent domain law. The NC Eminent Domain Law Firm is led by attorneys Stan Abrams and Jason Campbell, both of whom previously worked as Assistant Attorneys General for the North Carolina Department of Justice in the Transportation Section, where they litigated condemnation cases for the NCDOT. They have over 25 years of combined experience working exclusively on eminent domain cases. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin has the legal resources of 44 attorneys and is based in Durham, North Carolina, with 13 additional offices throughout the state to serve its clients.
Contact Information:
Stan Abrams
1-877-393-4990
NC Eminent Domain Law Firm
280 South Mangum St.
Suite 400
Durham, NC 27701
Stan Abrams, Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, http://www.Nc-eminent-domain.com, +1 1-866-900-7078, [email protected]
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