Jeremy Hopkins recently secured a major victory in a land condemnation and eminent domain case involving a 3-acre vacant property in Dunn, NC. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) initially offered the owners $344,050 in just compensation for taking 1.7 acres of the land. However, Hopkins argued that the land was worth significantly more—$650,000 per acre—and that the taking rendered the remainder of the property an uneconomic remnant with no independent use or value.
The DOT claimed the land was worth only $115,000 per acre. The owners sought the value of the land the DOT had taken and the damages to the remaining land due to the loss of commercial developability after the taking. After just 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of $1,913,000—the full amount sought on behalf of the clients.
The Land Condemnation and Eminent Domain Practice Group of Cranfill Sumner LLP has more than 50 years of combined experience defending the property rights of business owners, homeowners and landowners facing eminent domain. The team of attorneys, which is comprised of George Autry, Stephanie Autry, and Jeremy Hopkins, has experience receiving multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for landowners and property owners across North Carolina.
