Appraisers for the Florida Department of Transportation (“FDOT”) have started contacting property owners along the segment of State Road 79 that runs from North of Reedy Branch Bridge to Court Street in Washington County.  The purpose of the FDOT’s contact with these property owners is to schedule property inspections to appraise property FDOT intends to acquire.

In the near future, appraisers will complete their appraisals and submit them to FDOT. After these appraisals are completed, the FDOT is expected to begin making offers for the acquisition of private property, and if needed, the FDOT will ultimately initiate eminent domain lawsuits to acquire the needed property.

Fixel, Maguire & Willis attorneys currently represent a number of clients who could be impacted by the State Road 79 road widening project.  At the appropriate time, Fixel, Maguire & Willis’s attorneys will commission counter-appraisals at no cost to their clients.  These counter-appraisals will be solely for the benefit of Fixel, Maguire & Willis’s clients, and they will enable Fixel, Maguire & Willis’s clients to fully evaluate the FDOT’s offers and to make appropriate counter-offers, if necessary.

If you own private property that may be acquired for the widening of State Road 79, and you have any questions or concerns about the potential acquisition of your property, please contact Fixel, Maguire & Willis’s firm administrator, Susie Harris, by email at sharris@fla-eminentdomain.com or by telephone toll free at (800) 848-7535.