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 f
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