New infrastructure is necessary for a growing community. For the government to provide the infrastructure that you and your fellow citizens rely on, it may be necessary for the government to take some property from you. The legal term for this is eminent domain.
As a property owner, you have certain rights. The government cannot deprive you of your land or your rights without following a process. According to the Texas Government Code, the attorney general has to give you notice of the government’s intention to exercise eminent domain. A landowner’s bill of rights is part of the notice.
What does the landowner’s bill of rights include?
You can recognize a landowner’s bill of rights because it has to include that title in the document. It also includes your options during the process, also known as condemnation. The entity that is conducting the condemnation has certain obligations to you as the owner of the property, and the landowner’s bill of rights also includes these. It also outlines the procedure for the condemnation according to Texas law.
What rights do you have as a property owner?
The landowner’s bill of rights outlines the options you have to respond to the condemnation notice. Taking your property will cause damages to you, and you have the right to an assessment of those damages and a hearing over them. You have the right to expect compensation for your damages, and the entity that wishes to acquire the property must negotiate with you in good faith.
If you disagree with the outcome of your hearing, you have the right to appeal it. If an agent acting on behalf of the entity engages in misconduct, you have the right to file a written complaint to report it to the Texas Real Estate Commission.
