Ombudsman to mediate VDOT eminent domain disputes
“Property takeover disputes are prompting change within the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The most recent dispute involves a Portsmouth business being forced to make way for the Martin Luther King Expressway. The battle is over money for property and relocation costs for Old Dominion Demolition.
10 On Your Side reported about that case on Friday. Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne saw that report, and when WAVY.com called him on Monday he told us exclusively about a new position he’s put in place to help settle eminent domain disputes before they get out of hand.
The new position is in the Assurance and Compliance Office, and it is called the Right of Way Ombudsman. It went into effect Monday.
On the VDOT website it states, “The mission of the Ombudsman is to provide independent and objective review of limited VDOT Right of Way actions, specific to Eminent Domain, that impacts constituents of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
The Ombudsman will do the following:
Identify involved/impacted parties
Identify key documents, records and information relative to the dispute
Identify specific action requested by constituent
Identify options to resolve the dispute
Assist all parties in the evaluation of dispute resolution options
“
Fox, Andy. WAVY.com 23 June 2014.