$1.4 Million Settlement from Caltrans to RV Park for Eminent Domain Taking, Access Impairment and Property Damage

Caltrans widened and shifted Highway 49 which fronted a popular Northern California RV park. In the course of construction, Caltrans paved over the permitted driveway the RV park utilized decades, and thereafter, RVs could not safely and legally access the highway. Caltrans also destroyed the RV park’s internal roadways, river frontage, fencing and cut down heritage trees. After extensive discovery, motions practice, and deft expert analysis, Mr. Tajima offered evidence of substantial damages to the RV park above and beyond the value of the land taken for the highway project. After defeating Caltrans’ motion for summary judgment against the RV park’s crossclaims for inverse condemnation and breach of contract, through multiple mediations and intense negotiations, the parties were able to settle for $1.4 million. The settlement came minutes before the judge was to certify the case for trial setting. The settlement figure was nearly 11x Caltrans’ initial offer.

Note: This case was handled by Chase Tajima while working for a prior law firm.