Real Estate

Expert testimony, expert witness support and preparation, and legislative support and testimony on matters related to land valuation arising from flood mapping, inaccurate flood designations, flood map revisions and amendments, land use and zoning related to flood designations, comprehensive planning, and other related regulatory interface. Impact evaluation following flooding and other related disasters and interface with other environmental issues such as wetlands, environmental habitats, and contaminants. Advice with respect to evaluations by appraisers as related to correct or inaccurate flood zone or flood elevation designations.

Assistance and support in the prosecution or defense of taking or eminent domain claims arising in connection with flood mapping or flood designations, regulatory land use and zoning activities and post-flood claims, as well as negligence and nuisance claims related to flooding and damages from other related causes.

Preparation as a consultant, advisor and partner of exit strategies and land enhancement capabilities relating to private and corporate land portfolios relative to wetland and other environmentally impacted properties. Opportunities for utilization of contaminated and distressed land including for-profit strategies such as mitigation banking, eco-trades and other swapping capabilities as well as charitable contributions for tax enhancement. Review of corporate real estate portfolios for mitigation and valuation opportunities as well as exploration of community and not-for-profit organization interface. Preparation of public relations and goodwill creation strategies.

Advice relative to a multitude of distressed property improvement approaches. Areas include mitigation banking and eco-trading, conversion of contaminated properties to positive eco-developments and/or combined traditional developable land, interface with appraisers for increased land valuation strategies and project advice on governmental, community, municipal and not-for-profit organizations for eco-development projects.

Assisting in wetland and jurisdictional determinations and preparation of challenges to wetland determinations. Analysis of property to determine where wetland and other ecological habitats, attributes, and/or impacts may exist.

Design, development, and implementation of wetland and habitat mitigation banking. Assistance on relevant issues of mitigation banking including development, regulatory, administrative, sales, marketing, maintenance, monitoring, post-project disposition, and public relations. Expert testimony and preparation and legislative support for all phases of mitigation banking.

Review, analysis and confirmation of appropriate flood elevations and risks associated with particular land parcels. GIS, tax parcel and other designated information to assist in detailed determinations of actual flood elevations. Surveying, benchmark and other designator reviews to confirm accuracy of elevation designations and to prepare for elevation challenges.

Representation of communities with respect to all map revision matters and community-wide re-mapping efforts. Interface with federal agencies such as FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in obtaining financial support and timely updated flood maps. Legislative interface in obtaining funding for community mapping as well as significant funding for flood reduction projects.