Eminent Domain Report

Investors and developers scour the Southern California real estate market searching for opportunities to buy dated houses that they can demolish and replace with large, modern homes to sell for much more.  A few individuals likely thought they struck gold after inheriting a small bungalow cottage in Coronado, California with panoramic views of the Bay and golf course nearby. The cottage, built in 1924, was the smallest house on the street with the least-utilized lot; it represented both a great opportunity and a bygone era. These soon-to-be developers turned inverse condemnation ...

Despite California’s record high levels of precipitation in 2023, water scarcity remains a pressing issue. Governments have turned to using the power of eminent domain to acquire investor-owned utilities in an effort to improve water service and costs for their communities. This complex process, known as municipalization, contains significant legal hurdles for governments because investor-owned utilities are uniquely empowered to challenge such takeovers.

In Nossaman’s California Water Views – 2024 Outlook, we explore the legal framework of condemnation actions ...

Procedures governing eminent domain actions differ in some respects from other areas of law. Notably, all issues, except the sole issue of compensation, are adjudicated by the court. This requires the court to decide issues of law before the jury can determine compensation, complicating timing issues even where civil code sections on the matter seem straightforward.

Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure § 583.310, “An action shall be brought to trial within five years after the action is commenced against the defendant.” Absent a written stipulation, oral agreement ...

With the frequency of wildfires and flooding, landslides are becoming more frequent throughout California. When public agencies have water pipelines located in hillsides, the situation presents the classic “chicken or egg” debate: (1) did the soil movement cause the pipe to displace and leak water, thereby causing the landslide, or (2) did the pipe leak water independently, thereby causing the landslide? Answering this question addresses one of the key factors for liability for inverse condemnation and other real property causes of action: causation. … 

The Supreme Court has granted certiorari in George Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, agreeing to answer the question of whether legislatively enacted development impact fees are subject to a lower level of constitutional scrutiny than fees that are imposed by a permitting authority on an ad hoc basis. While this question has been presented to the Court multiple times over the last several decades, historically the Court has declined to take up the issue. Now, with the changing makeup of the Court, at least four justices appear willing to address the issue. …