Just Compensation

An amount of compensation to be received by a party for the taking of property under the power of eminent domain. Under both federal and state constitutions, private property may not be taken for public use without just compensation having first been determined by the court. Determination of just compensation is probably the most difficult problem in condemnation proceed¬ings. A condemnee can generally accept the offered compensation or can request and receive a court hearing for determining the appropriate amount of compensation.