The nightmare state eminent domain process (First hand account)

Florida Sound Off ^ | 09-18-03 | Bob Stone

[Lurking Libertarian]

I do believe though, based on media reports, that the number of successful challenges to eminent domain actions is pretty small.

Depends on what you mean by "success." The number of people who prevent seizure of their property through eminent domain is indeed very small, but most property owners who hire a lawyer and litigate the case wind up receiving a lot more in "just compensation" than the State originally offered.

[fire_eye]

I would earnestly suggest to these property owners that they seek out a lawyer in Southwest Florida, Tampa, Sarasota, or Miami, who can represent their very real interests

That was my first reaction... Not that they're not being abused by an incompetent and tyrannical State, but why didn't these people get a lawyer, and then (1) refuse to answer any questions, referring everything to their attorney, (2) file suit against the State for every offense it commits (and there are apparently a lot of them), (3) demand compensation for their attorney's fees?

But, as you say, maybe my attitude toward attorneys is all wrong... thus far, I've only run across one scumbag attorney whom I still want to kill, and I just hired another attorney to make his life miserable and that solved the problem. Moreover, I have (a) an attorney for traffic cases, (b) a personal injury lawyer, (c) a patent attorney, (d) a real estate attorney (two of them, in fact), (e) a criminal lawyer (whose services, thank God, I have never had to employ... but better to have one and not need one, than the reverse) - and they're all personal friends... and very interesting and intelligent people...

But, then, I never have measured up to anyone's expectations... so, while I do hope that Johnny Cochran and Allan Dershowitz, along with a large assortment of leftist scum attorneys of our acquaintance, die horribly of accidental self-inflicted burns somewhere where I can watch the process and listen to the screams, I generally *like* lawyers...