Horse Pen Creek Widening Leaves Property Owners With Questions, Concerns of Lost Value

NC Eminent Domain Law Firm Hosts Meeting, July 25, to Explain Property Owners' Rights and Possible "Second Check"

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Jul 17, 2013, 01:58 ET

GREENSBORO, N.C., July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Property owners in the path of the proposed Horse Pen Creek Road widening will soon be receiving eminent domain offers from city officials and the offers may not be for amounts that property owners think are fair. Rather than accepting these initial offers, owners may want to exercise often-misunderstood rights, including the ability to negotiate for a "second check."

The widening of Horse Creek Pen Road from New Garden Road to Battleground Avenue from two to four lanes will affect over 100 home and business owners who are likely inexperienced in assessing the true value of their properties and negotiating for that fair market value.

"Most property owners think the offer they receive is set in stone," says Jason Campbell, an attorney with the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm and former attorney with the NC Attorney General's Office. "If an offer has been made, there is usually a more complete and satisfactory offer to be gained through reappraisal and negotiations. Our job is to try to get property owners what we refer to as a 'second check' in addition to the offer they received on their own."

"Second Check"
If the condemnation is filed under North Carolina General Statute 136, property owners whose land or businesses are targeted for acquisition ultimately receive an offer (in this case from the city) for their property. If the owner chooses not to accept the offer and takes no further steps, the city will still acquire the land and will deposit the amount of the original offer with the county clerk for the owner.

The NC Eminent Domain Law Firm's "second check" approach comes in after officials make their initial offer. The property owner is free to pursue additional compensation above the initial offer.

If continued negotiations do not change the offer, the owner still has the first offer. But if continued negotiations are successful, the property owner will receive a "second" check in addition to the first offer.

"We hate to see property owners settle for an offer that may be less than the fair value for their property, simply because they were not aware of all of their rights," says Stan Abrams, an attorney with the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm. "You can receive that first check on your own. You will almost always receive at least that amount. We want to try to help property owners receive additional compensation or that 'second check.'"

The NC Eminent Domain Law Firm will host a free informational session on Thursday, July 25th at 7pm at the Greensboro Marriott Downtown to answer property and business owners key questions. Those questions typically include:

*How will the value of my property be calculated?
* Can I assume the offer for my property is fair?
* How is fair-market value determined?
* What if I lease space? Will there be allowances to move my business?
* Should I get my own appraisal?

For more information about the meeting, please call the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm at 1-877-393-4990.

About:

A division of the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm is dedicated solely to representing property owners throughout North Carolina, who may be impacted by eminent domain law. The NC Eminent Domain Law Firm is led by attorneys Stan Abrams and Jason Campbell, both of whom previously worked as Assistant Attorney Generals for the North Carolina Department of Justice Transportation Section, where they litigated condemnation cases for the NCDOT. They have 19 years of combined experience working exclusively on eminent domain cases. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin has the legal resources of 32 attorneys and is based in Durham, North Carolina, with offices throughout the state to serve its clients.

SOURCE NC Eminent Domain Law Firm