Eminent Domain Offer
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The “Real Estate Q & A” item entitled “Owner Options on Low Eminent Domain Offer” (Nov. 29) made a very unfortunate statement: “The government usually hires an appraiser who makes a low estimate of the land’s market value.” That is about as blatant and insupportable, undocumented a statement as I can possibly imagine.
The rules and regulations governing real estate appraisal today are dramatically different than they were 15 to 20 years ago, when some of the types of actions described in your answer took place. Qualified appraisers and certainly state licensed appraisers currently have to pass a very demanding course of study and be highly qualified to even get eminent domain assignments from public agencies.
You should also be aware that initial offers are frequently based on in-house appraisals done by staff appraisers and have nothing to do with “hires an appraiser who makes a low estimate of value.”
DONALD S. REDINGTON
Costa Mesa
The writer is a real-estate appraiser.
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