Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas: Court of Appeals Upholds $3 Million Condemnation Award on Oct. 28: Highway Commission Took 1.62 Acres, Interest at 8% Compounded Annually
A long-running eminent domain dispute in Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas, was decided by the Arkansas Court of Appeals on October 28, which upheld a $3 million jury verdict. The case arose from the Arkansas State Highway Commission's August 2015 taking of 1.62 acres owned by the William Major Lewis Trust to widen Dave Ward Drive and add a roundabout; the taking cut off the parcel's direct road access. The commission initially deposited $417,825 as its estimate of just compensation, while the trust's appraiser valued the loss at about $3.89 million, and a Faulkner County jury ultimately awarded $3 million. Trial Judge Susan Weaver added interest at 8 percent compounded annually from the 2015 taking date, plus about $123,000 in attorney's fees and costs. The trust testified that restoring functional access required building new roads and roundabouts costing $4 million to $4.5 million and using about 7 acres of the remaining land. Judge Mike Murphy's opinion for the Court of Appeals held that the cost evidence was relevant to the parcel's diminished value and properly admitted, and that the verdict was supported by substantial evidence.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 固定图库 federal-core 包法院建筑资料图（非案发地法院，仅司法主题示意）
