Often times, a public agency will be successful in negotiating a purchase and sale of occupied property without the need to file an eminent domain complaint.  However, unlike a simple arms-length sale and unless otherwise stated, an acquisition in lieu of eminent domain terminates the lease as a matter of law.  See Code Civ. Proc. § 1265.110 (“[w]here…

California’s Williamson Act, also known as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Gov. Code § 51200 et seq.), provides that “it is the policy of the state to avoid, whenever practicable, the location of any state or local public improvements and improvements of public utilities, and the acquisition of land therefore, in agricultural preserves.” …

An often overlooked pre-condemnation requirement is that the project be reviewed for consistency with the general plan.  California Government Code section 65402 requires that a city, county or local agency may not acquire real property until the location, purpose, and extent of such acquisition have been submitted to and reported upon by the “planning agency”…

Consistent with my Practice Tip to Avoid the Potential for Precondemnation Damages (November 14, 2017), I always recommended that public agencies proceed with the precondemnation process in a noncommittal and conditional manner.  This is because evidence showing that the agency has pre-committed to the acquisition can be used to challenge the agency’s otherwise lawful adoption…

Oftentimes, an offsite acquisition is required to construct a public improvement required by the city as a condition of a subdivider’s development project, and the offsite improvement is not complete when the subdivider files a final map for approval.  For example, a subdivider’s development may be conditioned upon the construction of a roadway leading up…