Childers v. United States

NATHAN and DEBORAH CHILDERS, et al., Plaintiffs, v. THE UNITED STATES, Defendant.

CALUSA LAKES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, et al., Plaintiffs, v. THE UNITED STATES, Defendant.

No. 08-1981

No. 07-4262

United States Court of Federal Claims

Filed: August 5, 2013

Fifth Amendment Taking; Rails-

to-Trails, 16 U.S.C. § 1241 et seq.;

Just Compensation; Fair Market

Value of Property Pre- and Post-

Taking; Severance Damages;

Conversion Land Damages; Cost

to Cure; Buffering; Loss of

Access; Unit Rule; Noneconomic

Remainder; Highest and Best Use;

Private Deed Restrictions; Public

Use Restrictions; Zoning;

Covenants, Conditions, andRestrictions; Expert Disclosures;

Striking Expert Testimony.

Mark F. (Thor) Hearne, II, Lindsay S.C. Brinton, and Meghan S. Largent, Arent Fox LLP, 112 S. Hanley Road, Suite 200, Clayton, MO 63105; Debra J. Albin-Riley and Joseph L. Cavinato, III, Arent Fox LLP, 555 West Fifth Street, 48th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013, for Plaintiffs.

Ignacia S. Moreno, Carol L. Draper, Lary Cook Larson, and Jason A. Hill, United States Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, 601 D Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20044; Kristine S. Tardiff, United States Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, 53 Pleasant Street, 4th Floor, Concord, NH 03301, for Defendant. Charlotte M. Youngblood, United States Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, 601 D Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20044, of Counsel.

OPINION AND ORDER

Contents

Findings of Fact ........................................................................................................... 6

Discussion ........................................................................................................... 8

Jurisdiction ........................................................................................................... 8

Legal Standards Governing Just Compensation .................................................. 8

Appraisals of the Subject Properties ............................................................. 10

The Experts' Methodologies ........................................................................................................... 10

Quantitative Versus Qualitative Comparable Sales Analysis ......................................................... 10

Appraisal Principles ............................................................................. 12

The Propriety of Applying a Large-Lot Discount ......................................................................... 12

The Propriety of Considering Use Restrictions ................................................................................. 14

The Efficacy of a Private Deed Restriction1 .................................................................................. 17

Public Use Restrictions and the Ability to Rezone Property in Sarasota County in 2004 ...................................... 20

The Taking's Effect on the Fair Market Value of Properties Adjacent to the Trail .......................................... 25

Plaintiffs' Paired Sales Analysis ........................................................................................................... 25

Plaintiffs' Anecdotal Evidence ........................................................................................................... 26

Plaintiffs' Evidence on Potential Future Uses of the Legacy Trail ...................................................................... 27

Defendant's Paired Sales Analysis ........................................................................................................... 27

Defendant's Trail Impact Studies ........................................................................................................... 27

Defendant's Anecdotal Evidence ........................................................................................................... 28

Defendant's Evidence on Future Uses of the Legacy Trail ............................................................................... 29

The Court's Assessment of the Experts' Opinions on Whether the Legacy Trail Negatively Impacted Property Values............ 29

The Diminution in Value to the Remainder Due to the Trail ..................................................................................... 30

The Width of the Buffer ........................................................................................................... 31

The Cost of Buffering ........................................................................................................... 33

Just Compensation for Plaintiffs' Individual Properties ......................................................................... 35

Mission Valley ........................................................................................................... 35

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of Mission Valley ............................................................................ 35

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of Mission Valley ........................................................................ 39What Is the Proper "Before Value" of Mission Valley? .................................................... 42

Just Compensation for Mission Valley .................................................... 44

Stoneybrook .................................................... 44

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of Stoneybrook .................................................... 44

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of Stoneybrook .................................................... 48

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of Stoneybrook? .................................................... 51

Just Compensation for Stoneybrook .................................................... 53

TPC-Prestancia .................................................... 55

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of TPC-Prestancia .................................................... 55

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of TPC-Prestancia .................................................... 60

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of TPC-Prestancia? .................................................... 63

Just Compensation for TPC-Prestancia .................................................... 64

Arielle .................................................... 64

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of Arielle .................................................... 66

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of Arielle .................................................... 70

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of Arielle? .................................................... 73

Just Compensation for Arielle .................................................... 75

JMC .................................................... 76

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of JMC? .................................................... 76

Just Compensation for JMC .................................................... 76

Palmer Ranch .................................................... 78

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of Palmer Ranch .................................................... 79

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of Palmer Ranch .................................................... 83

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of Palmer Ranch? .................................................... 86

Just Compensation for Palmer Ranch .................................................... 86

Pine Ranch East .................................................... 90

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of Pine Ranch East .................................................... 90

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of Pine Ranch East .................................................... 94

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of Pine Ranch East? .................................................... 97

Just Compensation for Pine Ranch East .................................................... 98

Calusa Lakes .................................................... 99

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of Calusa Lakes .................................................... 100

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of Calusa Lakes .................................................... 104What Is the Proper "Before Value" of Calusa Lakes? .................................................... 107

Just Compensation for Calusa Lakes .................................................... 108

The Childers Property .................................................... 109

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of the Childers Property? .................................................... 109

Just Compensation for the Childers Property .................................................... 109

The Marlin Property .................................................... 109

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of the Marlin Property? .................................................... 110

Just Compensation for the Marlin Property .................................................... 110

The Davids Property .................................................... 110

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of the Davids Property .................................................... 111

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of the Davids Property .................................................... 114

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of the Davids Property? .................................................... 116

Just Compensation for the Davids Property .................................................... 117

The Mirman Property .................................................... 118

Plaintiffs' Expert's Valuation of the Mirman Property .................................................... 118

Defendant's Expert's Valuation of the Mirman Property .................................................... 121

What Is the Proper "Before Value" of the Mirman Property? .................................................... 124

Just Compensation for the Mirman Property .................................................... 125

The Glueck Property ....................................................

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