Successful Verdict in Eminent Domain Action After Two-Day Jury Trial

Michael N. Shannon obtained a substantial verdict for his client in an eminent domain action after a two-day jury trial in November 2015.  Mr. Shannon represented the owner of Tanglewood Shopping Center, a shopping center in north central Little Rock anchored by a grocery store, in the action which stemmed from an Arkansas State Highway Commission project to widen Cantrell Road (Arkansas Highway 10) in front the shopping center and other businesses in that corridor.  The Highway Commission’s position was that the widening of the road did not damage the value of the remainder of the shopping center and that just compensation should include only a value for the land taken.  Mr. Shannon assisted Tanglewood in proving that the land taken by the Commission resulted in a loss of 22 parking spaces crucial to the long-term success of the shopping center’s anchor tenant and that this caused significant damage to the overall value of the shopping center after the taking.  After approximately 30 minutes of deliberations, the jury awarded Tanglewood the exact amount requested by Mr. Shannon and Tanglewood’s appraisal witness:  $972,000.00.  This was more than six (6) times the $156,150 proposed by the Commission as just compensation.