Land Acquisition

Many factors can influence the value of property — location, size, condition, zoning and comparable sales of nearby properties, to name a few. Our licensed appraisers can provide you with professional property and land value assessments, reached through thorough analysis. While appraisals are often a niche service that many firms outsource, we offer appraisal services in-house, which enables us to offer more rapid and accurate coordination within our related land acquisition pursuits.

What makes an appraisal so important?

Fair market value

One of the primary purposes of an appraisal for land acquisition is to establish the fair market value of the land that will be acquired. Fair market value is defined as the price a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller in an open and competitive market. For government projects such as a highway, road or airport, this valuation helps with compensating landowners when their property is acquired for public use. We perform these services in accordance with the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition for Federal and Federally Assisted Programs, which is the general standard for all public project acquisitions, regardless of funding.

Eminent domain

While a last-resort option, we have staff members who are experienced in matters of eminent domain, the legal right of a government to take private property for public use. A property appraisal provides an objective valuation to determine the compensation the landowner will receive for full and partial takes.

Public involvement and transparency

Often, the appraisal process for infrastructure projects is part of a broader public involvement or public hearing process. The appraisal helps promote transparency in the way the government determines compensation and engages with affected communities.

Property appraisals are vital in determining how much compensation landowners should receive when their property is acquired for public projects, and we offer skilled and objective appraisal professionals who help deliver results that are fair, transparent and aligned with market values while helping to resolve disputes between landowners and the government.

Jeff Stenger
Senior project manager
Office phone: (217) 747-9450
Email: jstenger@hanson-inc.com

When you need an easement to complete your projects or gain access for the installation, maintenance or repair of equipment and vegetation, our diverse range of professional acquisition and right-of-way specialists offer the skills and experience to partner with you throughout the process, navigating the legal requirements on public and private transactions.

Easements come in many forms, such as utility, avigation and temporary (construction), to name a few. And our staff supports our easement services by performing real estate surveys, obtaining permits and creating exhibits for community or landowner outreach.

Utility easements

Energy and infrastructure utility lines, equipment and pipes are vital when you need to convey power, telecommunication, technology, piped natural and produced products. Each utility is typically required to be present on or pass through and across properties, overhead and underground, that are not owned in fee simple title to the utility owner. For decades, our team has successfully acquired utility easements. We are technically knowledgeable while taking a considerate, pragmatic and friendly approach with property owners. The easements we acquire are cost effective and compatible to the utility owner and the affected property owner.

Avigation easements

Safe and unimpeded air travel is paramount to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), state and local governments and the public, which makes it crucial to keep the approaches to an airport’s active runway ends clear of obstructions. Whether you’re facing ever-growing trees and vegetation or working around expanding technology infrastructure and sustainable energy equipment, you must maintain your avigation easements to protect your facility’s airspace. You can trust us to help you achieve and maintain FAA compliance. Our experience in acquiring avigation easements comes from acquiring sensitive species of trees in historic neighborhoods and parks, as well as working with property developers and landowners to prevent vertical objects from penetrating the critical airspace adjacent to your airport. We are economically adept and environmentally conscious, and we work with you and affected landowners to achieve safety and compliance.

Temporary construction easements

Temporary construction easements are necessary on many project sites where access to adjacent property is required during work. Our negotiators and appraisers are skilled at identifying pragmatic easement solutions and balancing value with needs.

Whether you’re a municipality, railroad, department of transportation, airport or power and industrial producer, if you have an easement need, we are here to help.