Recently, while reviewing a county government’s appraisal of a client’s property, I was reminded of just how many shortcomings can be (and often are) present in governments’ value appraisals. To step back for just a moment, while governments in Florida are permitted to take private property for public use, the condemning government must pay the owner of the property the full value of the property taken. In an attempt to establish what the condemning government deems to be “full compensation”, the condemning government will pay for an appraisal of the property to be conducted. Not surprisingly however, the appraisals condemning governments pay for often depict the desired property’s value far below the property’s actual value.

Take for instance the aforementioned county government’s appraisal of a client’s property. My client’s property at issue, in its before take condition, enjoyed frontage along two regional thoroughfares, continuous and uninterrupted acreage, and a grandfathered use not common in the area. In the after take condition, my client’s property had lost all of those benefits. The county government’s appraisal however, failed to properly take into consideration the significant value these previously mentioned factors (among others) had on my client’s property. My firm’s initial review of the county government’s appraisal returned an estimated value of nearly three times the amount of the county government’s appraisal.

Do not allow the shortcomings of a governmental appraisal of your property rob you of its value. When it comes to taking your property in eminent domain, a government’s number one concern is acquiring your property at the lowest price possible – not paying you what your property is actually worth. If you fear you are facing a situation similar to the one described above, please do not hesitate to contact my firm, Maguire Lassman, P.A., for a FREE consultation. Furthermore, should you choose to retain us, our representation of your case will likely cost you absolutely nothing.