US 19E Road Widening Leaves Property Owners With Questions, Concerns of Lost Value
“Property owners in the path of the proposed US 19 East Widening from Jack’s Creek Road to west of Spruce Pine are receiving eminent domain deals from state officials that may be for far less than what their property is worth, according to Jason Campbell, an attorney with the NC Eminent Domain Law Firm and former attorney for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
He said that, 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 US 19 East from west of Spruce Pine from two to four lanes will affect more than 180 property owners, who are likely inexperienced in assessing the true value of their properties and negotiating for that fair market value, according to Campbell.”
PR Web 8 January 2014.