Archive | Highest and Best Use

February 27, 2014

Appellate Division Affirms Award in AAA Electricians

The Appellate Division, Second Department recently affirmed the Supreme Court’s award in Village of Haverstraw v. AAA Electricians, Inc. The condemnor appealed the judgment of the Supreme Court, Rockland County, entered May 9, 2012, which awarded the condemnee $6,500,000 as just compensation for the taking of the condemnee’s real property. The background of the case is as follows: The condemnor acquired the 18.9 acres for transfer to the Ginsberg Development Company which in turn constructed the “Harbors of Haverstraw” a townhouse development. The subject parcel was flat and level and enjoyed… read more

By Michael Rikon

Posted in Eminent Domain, Eminent Domain Abuse, Highest and Best Use, New York, Offer & Compensation, Recent cases

The Burden of Proof in a Condemnation Case

States differ in their approach to the question of who has the burden of proof in a condemnation case, an issue discussed more thoroughly in Michael Rikon’s recent article published in the Practical Real Estate Lawyer. As Mr. Rikon explains, there are essentially three separate groups: those that have no burden of proof on the issue of damages, those that place the burden of proof on the claimant, and those that require the condemnor to prove its assay of damages. In New York, the burden of proof is on the… read more

By Michael Rikon

Posted in Condemnation Procedures, Eminent Domain, Highest and Best Use, New York, Offer & Compensation, Trial Preparation

NYLJ Article, “The Court’s Duty in a Condemnation Case”

Partners Michael Rikon & Jonathan Houghton recently authored an article in the New York Law Journal titled “The Court’s Duty in a Condemnation Case.” The article discusses a recent decision by the Appellate Division, Second Department, affirming an order of the Kings County Supreme Court Justice Wayne Saitta which granted a motion for leave to exchange amended appraisal reports and vacate the Note of Issue filed by the condemnor. The motion followed the review of both sides’ appraisals prior to trial. The trial court reviewed the appraisals that the parties intended to… read more

By Michael Rikon

Posted in Condemnation Procedures, Eminent Domain, Highest and Best Use, New York, Published Articles, Recent cases, Trial Preparation

Condemnors Say the Darndest Things

In New York, sanctions are rarely imposed on counsel during civil litigation; they are almost never imposed in Condemnation cases, which involve constitutionally protected claims for just compensation. Recently, the frivolous arguments have grown as if on steroids. Established legal principles, logic, and ethics are seemingly abandoned in the hope of influencing the court. Here are two examples from recent cases: In a real estate (fee) claim in which the Claimant presented evidence that there existed a reasonable probability of rezoning, the condemnor argued that the probable rezoning of the… read more

By Michael Rikon

Posted in Highest and Best Use, Leases, New York, Trade fixtures

Basics of Property Valuation in Condemnation Proceedings

The rule that real property is valued at its highest and best use free and clear of leases, mortgages or other encumbrances regardless of actual use is so fundamental that almost every eminent domain decision begins with a recitation of it. Firstly, the act of condemnation extinguishes any interest on the property. In 1931, the Court of Appeals wrote, In Matter of City of New York (Allen Street), “the City pays for what it takes and nothing else. By such taking it extinguishes all existing rights and interests in the property taken.” … read more

By Michael Rikon

Posted in Condemnation Procedures, Eminent Domain, Highest and Best Use, Leases, New York, Offer & Compensation, Recent cases, Zoning

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