Q: There’s a house that I am interested in purchasing in Silver Spring, but when I did a little neighborhood background check I realized that Metro’s proposed Purple Line would probably go through the back yard — or worse, the entire street would be taken over for the project. How does one find out what the plans are for this project? How do you protect yourself and your house from development such as this?
A: Barrett L. Kime, a real estate lawyer with DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy: Because of the government’s power of eminent domain (the right to take private property by condemnation), you will have little opportunity to stop or even alter the construction of a project as big as a Metro line. Some people who have the stomach for it may try to purchase in an area slated for such development in the hope of later extracting a high price from the government, which must pay for private property that is taken. For most people, though, it is best to just weigh the impact the project will have on the use and enjoyment of the property and to look elsewhere if the overall impact is negative.
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