Florida Eminent Domain Blog | Gregory W. Stoner

If you have received an offer for compensation from a taking authority, that offer is based on an estimate of your property's value made by an appraiser who works for the condemning authority. In Florida, you have the right to look at this appraisal, and if you request it, a copy will be sent to you in 15 days.

You only have a limited amount of time to respond to this offer (generally 30 days), and it's important to make the right response. If you do not take an offer that is accurate, you may end up having to pay for court costs and attorney's fees. If you accept an offer that is below the actual value of your property, you are missing out on potentially significant gains, not to mention the fact that your court costs and attorney's fees would be covered.

In the limited amount of time you have to respond to the offer, you should not take your time trying to find an appraiser. Instead, you should consider your options for finding an eminent domain attorney. The attorney will not only be able to look at your offer and tell you whether it's likely to be accurate or low--he can connect you to an appraiser that can be trusted to not only give you an accurate appraisal, but one that's likely to stand up in court.

However, if you do want to select an appraiser on your own, here's a few things to look for:

• Experience with eminent domain cases

• Experience working for property owners--not just the government

• Experience with your type of taking, such as partial taking or business property

• An understanding of the area in which your property is located

Be very careful when selecting an appraiser--if the appraisal is at or below that of the state, it can be used in evidence against you, even if you find and hire another appraiser.

At the Florida Property Rights Law Firm, we offer free consultations. We can look at the offer from the government and let you know if it will be worth your time and effort to fight for additional compensation.

If you are facing an eminent domain action in Tampa or elsewhere in Florida, please contact the Florida Property Rights Law Firm today for a free initial consultation.