What is a relocation agent to do when it’s time to conduct an initial interview with the owner of a displaced business and then gets the dreaded letter of representation from counsel? My first reaction is to scream, but that does not get the job done. Let me be clear at the outset: I have [...]
Landowners in pipeline cases commonly attempt to introduce evidence that the existence of pipelines near their property will, in itself, reduce the value of their remaining land. In Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC v. 1.85 Acres of Land, Owned by Jacqueline J. Lucki, Case No. 7:19-cv-00147, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia [...]
Attorneys appear more and more frequently in business relocation matters, much to the chagrin of project managers and right-of-way directors. Agencies and their directors work under staunch deadlines and sometimes face severe penalties if the right of way is not cleared on time. In an overwhelming majority of cases, attorney involvement frustrates (if not outright [...]
Just this week I got a nasty phone call from a displacee threatening to sue me, the relocation agent, for essentially doing my job. Why? Because the condemning authority (my client) required justifiable and proper documentation for the claim. Should I have to fear the prospect of costly litigation by performing my duties? Of course [...]
Landowners’ counsel in Virginia often use a tactic called the “unity of lands doctrine” to try to inflate damage claims, but a recent decision from the Virginia Beach Circuit Court shows a way to defeat this common tactic. In City of Va. Beach v. Sweigart, Case No. 18005649-00, the project called for a utility easement [...]