It has taken years of hard work to build your business. Yet, your vision proved correct, and you now have a constant flow of customers willing to travel to you.
Then you receive news that the government wants to build a road through your location, and they intend to use the eminent domain law to force you to sell. What now?
Eminent domain requires an excellent reason
The government has the right to order the purchase of private property in specific circumstances. If someone thinks your place would make a nice golf course or holiday home, then no, they cannot make you sell. Yet, they can force you out for infrastructure that is of national or regional interest.
As the recent example with the California high-speed rail line shows, eminent domain can be contentious. You have the right to question why a particular project needs your parcel of land or if the project is desirable or viable. You can also challenge how much the authorities are offering for your property. The law says they need to pay a fair price, but their definition of that may be way below yours.
Eminent domain purchases typically affect many people, so grouping together can increase your voice. Yet, this is not a fight you can carry alone as a group of citizens. You need detailed legal knowledge to understand your rights and find ways to challenge the purchase.
Taking on the government will never be easy, but neither is being forced off your property. Finding out more can help you make a sensible decision about which battles are worth fighting. Can you oppose the project? Or is your only option to fight for a fair price?