The purpose of this article is to address the goals that California’s Surplus Land Act was designed to accomplish. The article will address the prior version of the Surplus Land Act, the changes to definitions made in 2019, and provide a big-picture perspective on its aims. In 2019, the California Legislature re-made the Surplus Land…
Continue reading ›As if eminent domain is not bad enough, after you’ve gone through the process, the government wants to tax you on the land it made you sell. Savvy property owners, however, can limit their tax liabilities through the use of a 1031 exchange process. Can a property owner limit the effects of eminent domain? Internal…
Continue reading ›The purpose of this post is to address the process where a governmental entity makes an offer to purchase property in contemplation of the later use of the eminent domain. This post will address the rule that applies for offers prior to eminent domain, known as “pre-condemnation offers,” address specifics applicable to business, and then…
Continue reading ›The purpose of this post is to discuss how a partial taking of your property may affect your property taxes. Often, in an eminent domain action, there are at least two types of damages or payment required. First, the government should pay the property owner for the property actually taken. Second, when the government takes…
Continue reading ›For many of us, real estate is our most valuable asset and the thing that we rely on to provide security for retirement. It is also our passion where we can use our creativity to make our mark on the world. When we receive notice that it may be the subject of an eminent domain…
Continue reading ›What is the Eminent Domain Process? The eminent domain process begins with an environmental review, negotiations with property owners, a hearing before a public entity, and then eventually, an eminent domain lawsuit. After some preliminary negotiations, a public entity will generally hold a hearing on something called a “Resolution of Necessity.” This is a formal…
Continue reading ›Surplus Land Act Government Code section 54230.5 contains the “penalty” or “enforcement” provisions in the updated Surplus Land Act enacted under Assembly Bills 1255 and 1486 in 2019. Specifically, Section 54230.5 (a)(1) creates a penalty of “30 percent of the final sale price of the land sold in violation of this article for a first…
Continue reading ›In 2019, California passed a revision to the Surplus Land Act to make more public land available for private development in order to address the State’s ongoing housing crisis. Who is subject to the Surplus Land Act? Currently, as a result of the Legislature’s revision in 2019, the Surplus Land Act extends to any public…
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