A Whole/Total Take is when the entirety of your property is claimed by the Government. In this situation, your property is valued under similar considerations as if it were sold willingly to another party at a fair market price. Appraisals performed in the whole taking of a property are often simpler than partial takings, as the procedure and development of the appraisal are similar to those used in typical sale or refinancing of a property.

A Partial Take refers to when a portion of your property is claimed by the Government, typically for development of utilities or infrastructure improvement/implementation. This valuation is complex, as your just compensation can extend far beyond the value of the acquired land itself.

Easements are different from takes in that you still maintain the ownership rights to your property. Instead of claiming the property, easements involve using the whole or parts of your property for specific purposes. The value of compensation depends on the size of the easement, the direct effect on your property, the indirect effects on your ability to use the property, and the duration of the easement. Temporary easements take place over a short period of time, and are often related to construction or the storage of construction materials.

Permanent easements are similar to temporary easements in that you still maintain the ownership rights to your property, though a section of it is utilized in perpetuity to provide a necessary public good or service. Permanent easements are valued differently than temporary easements as the burden of the affected property is maintained for a significantly longer amount of time. Permanent easements are often used to build roadways and install power or water lines.

Benjamin B Davidson is a certified general appraiser holding all four designations available nationally via the Appraisal Institute: MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, and AI-RRS. Each of these designations focus on a distinct area of the appraisal industry, several of which are often combined when dealing with eminent domain appraisals. Put simply,

- The MAI designation focuses on commercial appraisal competency and fluency.

- The SRA designation focuses on residential appraisal competency and fluency.

- The AI-GRS designation focuses on the complex issues associated with commercial and general appraisal review.

- The AI-RRS designation focuses on the complex issues associated with residential appraisal review.

Collectively, these designations represent decades of hard work and focused study. Very few appraisers put in the work necessary to obtain all four. You can learn more about what those designations mean here.

In addition to holding the designations preferred for the complex work that eminent domain appraisal can often involve, Benjamin is approved and recommended by the Colorado Department of Transportation to bid on and complete CDOT and federally funded local government agency projects. The process to gain approval for this list is complex. To be considered, the applicant must

1. Hold a Colorado Certified General Appraiser’s License

2. Undergo evaluation by a panel of three CDOT senior appraisers

3. Demonstrate Understanding of Eminent Domain Development

4. Provide Complex Sample Documents for Review

5. Provide Professional References

6. Outline Other Appraisal Skills in complex areas such as Litigation and Education

Throughout the State of Colorado, there are less than 50 appraisers who have met these requirements. You can view the full list of recommended appraisers here.

Blake and Associates, LLC has worked and currently works with many title companies and attorneys regarding title disputes that require a Diminution in Value (DIV). Many of these title disputes are settled in the appraisal process, but it is not uncommon for them to proceed on to litigation. In the event of a legal dispute, Blake and Associates is prepared and equipped to testify for the fair value of your property. We're confident in our valuations and are willing to stand by them if needed.