A WV Lawyer Explains WV Eminent Domain Procedures
Charles Printz, an attorney in Martinsburg, WV, gave a presentation to the Berkeley County, WV Farm Bureau last summer. It is an excellent 20 minute lecture that explains what land owners can expect in the court process if power companies want your land for their power lines.
Land owners should understand that there is a very good chance that they will receive more in damages from going to court than they will if they accept the power companies’ offers. You will need to hire an attorney and a real estate appraiser to make your case, but you will more than recover their fees.
If you go to court, you have the right to ask for a jury trial with a jury of 12 of landowners from your county. Do not believe power company land agents when they try to scare you about the court process. There is nothing to fear.
