Just before trial was set to begin, a significant settlement was reached in a high-stakes expropriation case involving the State of Louisiana, Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD). The dispute centered on DOTD’s taking of two parcels from the landowner’s 50-acre tract in Lake Charles to facilitate the relocation of the Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District’s railroad track and complete the Nelson Road Extension tie-in with W. Sallier Street.
DOTD initially offered $269,843.00 for the property. But on the eve of trial, the agency agreed to pay an additional $2.65 million, bringing the total compensation to $2,919,843.00—more than ten times the original offer.
The final settlement reflects the landowner’s longstanding position that the expropriated property was substantially undervalued and that the taking resulted in significant damages. The outcome ensures that the landowner receives just compensation, consistent with the protections afforded under the Louisiana Constitution.
The Consent Judgment, now final and recorded in Calcasieu Parish, acknowledges this full settlement sum as full compensation not only for the property taken but also for severance damages, economic losses, and all related claims.
Read the full Consent Judgment here: Consent-Judgment