Miami Must Pay $10.78M for Riverfront Property
Table of Contents
Case Background
The City of Miami initiated this lawsuit on December 17, 2021, to acquire a specific parcel of land through a legal process known as eminent domain. This case, filed in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida revolved around the government’s power to take private property for public use, provided it paid the owner "full compensation," as guaranteed by the Constitution. The City, acting as the Petitioner, determined that it needed to acquire the property, designated as Parcel No. 101, for a public purpose, though the exact nature of the project was not fully detailed in the initial petition. The property owner, South River Warehouse, LLC, along with other interested parties including Miami-Dade County, became the Respondents in the legal proceeding. The core dispute was not whether the City could take the land that power had already been established but what amount of money fully compensated the owners for the taking.
Cause
The City of Miami brought the action as a Petition in Eminent Domain. This process allowed the City to use its statutory authority, granted by Chapters 73, 74, and 166 of the Florida Statutes, to acquire fee simple title to the property. The City’s Resolution authorized the use of this power, confirming that the acquisition was for a necessary public use. Therefore, the Cause of the legal action was the City’s formal demand for the forced sale of the property to the government.
Injury
In eminent domain cases, the "injury" is the constitutional taking of the private property. The property at the center of the dispute was identified by a complex legal description defining the boundaries of the land, which lay between the Miami River and South West South River Drive. For the owner, South River Warehouse, LLC, the injury was the involuntary loss of their real estate asset and all rights associated with it, necessitating a determination of the fair market value to remedy that loss. Miami-Dade County, also named as a Respondent, acknowledged in its answer that it possessed a potential interest in the property related to outstanding real property taxes or other liens.
Damages Sought
The City of Miami, as the Petitioner, sought to pay only the minimum constitutionally required full compensation for the property. This compensation needed to cover the fair market value of the property, including all improvements and damages to any remaining property, as of the date of the taking. The Respondents, particularly South River Warehouse, LLC, fought for the highest possible valuation that the evidence supported, ensuring they received the maximum financial equivalent for the property the government had seized. The final amount of compensation became the central point of contention for the jury to decide.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
The proceedings centered heavily on valuation evidence. Because the City had already established its right to condemn the land, the trial's sole purpose was to resolve the difference in appraisal values presented by each side. Both the City and the property owners introduced appraisal reports, real estate expert testimony, and market data to persuade the jury of their respective property valuations.
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): City Of Miami
· Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Mitchell J. Burnstein | Alicia Gonzalez | Eric J. Eves | Eric P Hockman | Bryan C. Siddique | Elizabeth M. Hernandez | Marguerite C Snyder
· Experts for Plaintiff(s): Carlos Perez | Sue Trone | David Snow | Albert Armada | Robert E. Gallaher | Micheal Barthlomew | Cynthia Pearl | Jeremy Larkin | Scott Roehr | Robert Chisholm
Defendant(s): South River Warehouse, Llc | Miami-Dade County
· Counsel for Defendant(s): Debra Herman | Thomas R. Bolf | J Wiley Hicks | Benjamin E Olive | Gabriel A Lievano | Patrick T Di Pietro | Robert A Schreiber | Jason Kenneth Kellogg
· Experts for Defendant(s): Carlos Marin | Carlos Miranda | Arturo Ortega | Harry Newstreet | Craig Keneipp | Carlos Aya | Aaron Butler | Eric Rahenkamp
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
The arguments in an eminent domain case focus almost entirely on market value.
Claims
The City’s legal team presented its valuation claim, asserting that the compensation it offered constituted the property's fair market value. Their evidence argued for a lower figure by relying on comparable sales data from the area that they deemed most relevant to Parcel 101. The City maintained that this lower number reflected the property’s highest and best use under the existing market conditions.
Defense
The property owner’s counsel argued that the City’s valuation severely undervalued the property. The defense presented evidence supporting a much higher compensation amount, arguing that the location on the Miami River and the potential for future development made the land significantly more valuable. They likely emphasized unique features of the property such as its riparian rights and specific legal description to differentiate it from the City’s comparable sales, thus claiming that only a higher figure would constitute Full Compensation for the private asset seized.
Jury Verdict
After considering the comprehensive evidence, including competing expert valuations and market analyses, the jury retired to deliberate on the sole remaining question: the amount of full compensation.
On December 13, 2024, the jury returned its Verdict to the Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County. The jury found in favor of the property owner, determining that the City's offer had not represented the full compensation required under the law.
The verdict confirmed that the twelve-person panel had sided with the higher valuation presented by the property owners, ensuring that South River Warehouse, LLC, received $10,780,000.00 as just payment for the land the City of Miami had acquired through its eminent domain power. The jury’s decision, signed by the Foreperson, Laura Margarita Goyalez Merin, finalized the value of the transaction. The Court subsequently entered a final judgment on the verdict, obligating the city to pay the determined amount to formally take title to Parcel 101.
Court Documents