A Remedy In a Result

Sometimes, the right result is not about the money; it’s about a remedy. Historic Hampton University is located at the foot of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. So, its campus is threatened with eminent domain any time the Commonwealth of Virginia wants to make it bigger. Waldo & Lyle has long defended the university’s property rights, most recently in 2016. A bridge tunnel expansion threatened to kill the famous Emancipation Oak, where in 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was read for the first time to enslaved African-Americans. Waldo & Lyle’s intervention  resulted in the state going back to the drawing boards. It redrew its plans to make smarter use of its existing right of way, saving the Emancipation Oak. At right, Hampton University Vice President Bill Thomas describes why the university relies on Waldo & Lyle.

Bill Thomas, Hampton University Associate VP

Read More About Our Results

Past case results do not indicate or guarantee future results. Every case has unique facts and circumstances and must be considered on its own merit.

Millions off the mark

It is simple logic: the harder it is for customers to get to your business, the harder it will be for you to do business. That’s what happened to a major national retailer in Fairfax County when VDOT closed one of its highway entrances for a new overpass. To make matters worse, VDOT insisted that the business had hardly been hurt, offering but $115,000 in compensation. Waldo & Lyle convinced a jury that the retailer was owed $5.6 million, almost 50 times what VDOT claimed was just.

Saving a dream

Howard Everton started out sweeping floors at Norva Plastics of Norfolk. He dreamed of owning the company and eventually he did. But Norfolk turned his dream into a nightmare, deciding to condemn his property for $1.7 million so it could build a shopping center. He fought back with Waldo & Lyle. They won the first battle: a jury ordered the city to pay Howard $3.4 million. Howard wanted his business, not the money. Having beaten Norfolk once in court already, Waldo & Lyle appealed the verdict to the Virginia Supreme Court. The justices agreed unanimously that Norfolk had no right to take Howard’s property and ordered it returned to its rightful owner.

Patience pays off

It took four years to show the City of Chesapeake the error of its ways when it lowballed the value of land it was taking from a heavy construction company for a new bridge. The city offered but $2.1 million for putting a ribbon of roadway through the middle of Higgerson Buchanan’s equipment and materials storage yard. During the drawn out negotiations, Waldo and Lyle proved to the city how badly it underestimated the damages. Finally, the city relented, settling for $9.5 million.

Professional Office: Refusal To Provide Relocation Assistance: Virginia Beach

City Offer: $0

Post-trial Settlement: $175,000 Plus Award Of Attorneys’ Fees

Concrete Batching Plant – Relocation: District Of Columbia

DC Offer: $0

Settlement: $5,856,676

Residential – Inverse Condemnation For Sewer Line Damages: Halifax County

Sanitation District Offer: $2,344

Post-trial Settlement: $120,000

Hotel Property – Road Widening: Norfolk

VDOT Offer: $299,895

Settlement: $1,000,000

Commercial Property – Total Taking For Road Widening: Virginia Beach

City Offer: $313,734

Settlement On Threat Of Appeal: $353,000 And Owner Kept Developable Remainder

Church Property – Interstate Widening: Norfolk

VDOT Offer: $446,220

Settlement: $1,400,000 And Significant Reduction In Taking

Hotel Property – Road Widening: Virginia Beach

VDOT Offer: $322,435

Settlement: $2,850,000

Hotel Property- Road Widening: Virginia Beach

VDOT Offer: $292,470

Settlement: $2,250,000

Industrial Property – Pipeline Easement: Chesapeake

Gas Co. Offer: $313,292

Settlement: $3,000,000

Church Property – Road Widening: Lynchburg

VDOT Offer: $25,049

Settlement: $157,000

Hotel Property – Road Widening: Charlottesville

VDOTOffer: $562,860

Settlement: $965,500

Nonprofit Retreat Center – Pipeline Easement: Nelson County

Gas Co. Offer: $80,000

Settlement: $1,000,000

23 Residential Homeowners – Pipeline Easement: Chesapeake

Gas Co. Offers: $3,000 Or Less

Confidential Settlements: More Than 11 Times Initial Offer For Each Homeowner

Church Property – Road Widening: Hampton

City Offer: $81,000

Settlement: $600,000

Industrial Property – Metro Expansion: Loudoun County

VDOT Offer: $235,095

Settlement: $600,000

Residential Subdivision- Pipeline Easement: Pocahontas County, Wv

Gas Co. Offer: $765,389

Settlement: $1,950,000

Church Property – Interstate Overpass: Norfolk

VDOT Offer: $1,461,900

Settlement: $11,800,000

Convenience Store – Drainage Easement: Mathews County

VDOT Offer: $7,200

Settlement: $30,000, Taking Abandoned And Attorneys’ Fees And Costs Awarded

Commercial Property – Bisected By Road: Huntersville, Nc

NCDOT Offer: $353,500

Settlement: $545,000

Commercial Property – Loss Of Parking: Manassas

CITY OFFER: $105,580

SETTLEMENT: $550,000

Interchange Road Project – Loss of Access: Hanover

VDOT OFFER: $37,500

SETTLEMENT: $750,000

Interchange Road Project – Loss of Access: Hanover

VDOT OFFER: $37,500

SETTLEMENT: $750,000

Commercial Property – Loss Of Parking: Manassas

CITY OFFER: $105,580

SETTLEMENT: $550,000

Road Widening: Virginia Beach

CITY OFFER: $632,000

SETTLEMENT: $1,200,000

Commercial Property-Loss of Outparcel:

Virginia Beach

VDOT OFFER: $236,457

SETTLEMENT: $645,969

Commercial Property-Road Widening: Virginia Beach

VDOT OFFER: $27,469

JURY AWARD: $188,500

Commercial Property-Road Widening: Fairfax County

VDOT OFFER: $311,350

SETTLEMENT: $1,274,866

Rental Property-Road Widening: Virginia Beach

CITY OFFER: $335,000

JURY AWARD: $664,338

Redevelopment-Property Acquisition: Norfolk

NRHA OFFER: $66,200

SETTLEMENT: $300,000

Acquisition For Federal Courthouse: Norfolk

US GSA OFFER: $6,175,000

JURY AWARD: $13,401,741

Grocery Store-Loss of Parking: Newport News

VDOT OFFER: $76,768

JURY AWARD: $724,000

Acquisition of Comercial Building: Alexandria

VDOT OFFER: $2,750,000

SETTLEMENT: $3,500,000

Commercial Property-Road Widening: Fairfax

VDOT OFFER: $400,000

SETTLEMENT: $885,000

Subdivision Development-Utility Company Switching Station: Suffolk

OFFER: $3,386

SETTLEMENT: $125,000

Redevelopment-Waterfront Home: Norfolk

NRHA OFFER: $500,000

DEFEATED THE RIGHT TO TAKE

Residential Property-Water Run-off: Newport News

CITY OFFER: $0

JURY AWARD: $232,918

Church – Loss of Parking & Access: Virginia Beach

CITY OFFER: $852,716

SETTLEMENT: $2,445,716

Damage to Mitigation Site: Suffolk

VDOT OFFER: $41,860

JURY AWARD: $489,500

Take of Dentist Office For Road Widening: Newport News

CITY OFFER: $506,600

SETTLEMENT: $722,107.50

 Farmland-New Road Alignment & Loss of Access: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $111,161

JURY AWARD: $2,416,864

Commercial Shopping Center-Loss of Parking: Virginia Beach

VDOT OFFER: $2,058,395

SETTLEMENT: $3,800,000

Utility Corridor: Virginia Beach

ELEC. CO. OFFER: $293,250

SETTLEMENT: $2,500,000

Commercial Property-Loss of Access: Prince William County

VDOT OFFER: $4,328,280

SETTLEMENT: $5,500,000

Taking for Metro Station: Fairfax

VDOT OFFER: $2,700,000

SETTLEMENT: $3,501,293

Gas Pipeline: Meadows of Dan, Patrick County

ETNG OFFER: $3,050

JURY AWARD: $27,700

Take For Park: Smithfield

TOWN OFFER: $2,014,213

SETTLEMENT: $3,800,000

Vacant Land For Redevelopment: Norfolk

NRHA OFFER: $382,300

JURY AWARD: $568,085

Gas Pipeline Through Farm: Hillsville, Patrick County

ETNG OFFER: $10,000

JURY AWARD: $110,000

Shopping Center-Loss of Parking: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $75,206

JURY AWARD: $875,299

Farmland-Relocation of Road & Drainage Easements: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $124,316

JURY AWARD: $738,303

Road Widening-Damage To Office Building: Virginia Beach

VDOT OFFER: $40,392

SETTLEMENT: $550,000

Take For Stormwater Drainage Pond: Rockingham

VDOT OFFER: $437,559

JURY AWARD: $828,266.41

Road Widening-Damage to Medical Building: Spotsylvania

COUNTY OFFER: $1,261,275

SETTLEMENT:  $1,850,000

Residential Home Acquisition For Park: Norfolk

CITY OFFER: $883,000

SETTLEMENT: $1,250,000

Commercial Property-Road Widening: Virgina Beach

VDOT OFFER:  $537,514

SETTLEMENT: $1,219,913.44

Commercial Building Taken For School: Cumberland County

COUNTY OFFER:  $200,000

SETTLEMENT:  $850,000

 Big Box Retail Store – Overpass – Loss of Access: Fairfax County

VDOT OFFER: $115,000

JURY AWARD (with interest): $5,635,343

Farmland – Taking For School: Henrico

COUNTY OFFER: $636,000

SETTLEMENT: $1,150,000

Land Acquisition For Road Widening: Fairfax

VDOT OFFER: $289,925

JURY AWARD: $1,034,550

Gas Station-Road Widening: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $23,494

JURY AWARD: $152,466

Redevelopment For Community Center: Norfolk

NRHA OFFER: $380,000

SETTLEMENT: $787,000

Retail Stores-Acquisition For Highway Interchange: Prince William County

VDOT OFFER: $2,620,076

SETTLEMENT: $4,800,000

Gas Pipeline Through Tree Farm: Stuart

ETNG OFFER: $13,800

JURY AWARD: $117,500

Taking For Stormwater Drainage Pond: Hillsville, Patrick County 

VDOT OFFER: $627,104

JURY AWARD : $1,010,310

Church-Road Widening: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $254,564

JURY AWARD: $595,997

Gas Pipeline-Inverse: Wythe

OFFER: $0

SETTLEMENT: $320,000

Powerline Easement: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $37,818

JURY AWARD: $244,310

Avigation Easement: Hanover County

COUNTY OFFER: $4,810

SETTLEMENT: $37,000

Construction Company Site_Highway Interchange: Chesapeake

CITY OFFER: $2,179,863

SETTLEMENT: $9,500,000

Power Line Easement: Buckingham

VEPCO OFFER: $4,004

SETTLEMENT: $295,000

Avigation Easement: Orange County

COUNTY OFFER: $500

SETTLEMENT: $57,500

Drainage Easement: Lynchburg

CITY OFFER: $25,915

SETTLEMENT: $400,000

Gas Pipeline Easement: Buckingham

GAS CO. OFFER: $4,500

SETTLEMENT: $240,000

Commercial Property-Road Widening: Lynchurg

CITY OFFER: $56,000

SETTLEMENT: $230,000

Road Widening: Chesapeake

VDOT OFFER: $3,890

JURY AWARD: $35,774

Road Widening: Suffolk

VDOT OFFER: $36,400

JURY AWARD: $165,000

Bike Path Easement

Isle Of Wight

COUNTY OFFER: $3,100

JURY: $99,850

Gas Pipeline Easement: Pittsylvania County

GAS CO. OFFER: $6,732

SETTLEMENT: $100,000

Gas Pipeline Easement: Wythe county

GAS CO. OFFER: $60,000

JURY AWARD: $2,228,775

Inverse Condemnation For Damages: Roanoke

RRHA OFFER: $0

JURY AWARD: $504,127

Road Widening: Virginia Beach

CITY OFFER: $632,000

SETTLEMENT: $1,200,000