When the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in Seattle, Washington announced plans to seize two subdivision lots on an inlet to the Pacific Ocean, a property owner within that subdivision did not know where to turn. Two local attorneys with eminent domain experience did not see sufficient basis for a claim and subsequently declined to represent the owner in his attempt to seek fair compensation for the proposed seizure. Frustrated and in need of experienced counsel in the highly specialized eminent domain arena, the owner put in a call to Ackerman Ackerman Complete & Dynkowski.

The Detroit Marine Terminal seizure was initiated by the City of Detroit in order to secure a parcel of waterfront property (located near the city limit of Detroit and Dearborn) as part of plans to build a new municipal water purification plant. Viewing the property in question as essentially a wasted backland parcel with little value in a declining industrial area, the condemning authority initially extended an offer of approximately $4 million to the owner, Detroit Marine Terminals, Inc.

This case involved a gas storage field conversion/condemnation, where a formerly active 300-acre natural gas field would be repurposed as a gas storage field. The condemning authority, Washington 10 Gas Company, was a collaborative enterprise between major regional utilities and private investors. The company formally became a common carrier/public utility for the purposes of acquiring the gas field. After the condemning authority gained the rights to acquire and reuse the site, an initial compensation offer of approximately $1,000/acre—a total of $386,000—was made to the owner.

Client Profile RCU Independence, Inc. and Sentry, Inc. own and operate two successful, full-service car wash facilities called Pro Car Wash East and Pro Car Wash West. The two businesses…