Special Use Appraisals: Understanding Restricted Property Valuation

Church Real EstateAd Valorem Tax, Appraisal, Certified General Appraisal, Eminent Domain, Inverse Condemnation

Special use appraisals determine property value when a property’s use is restricted by zoning, nonprofit operations, or legal limitations, making accurate valuation essential. The California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers Practice Act defines an appraisal the act or process of developing an opinion of value for real property, and does not include an opinion given by a real estate licensee or engineer or land surveyor in the ordinary course of his or her business. The standards used within the appraisal profession are set forth in the Uniform Standards of Professional […]

What Defines a Church?

Tax & ExemptionsChurch, Eminent Domain, Eviction, Religious use, RLUIPA, Variance, zoning

Defining a Church? What is a Church? Recently, a potential buyer approached a City Planner asking what their Temple could and could not do on a particular piece of property. A disagreement arose between them as the person at the City kept referring to Church use, while the interested party kept trying to correct them in stating that they were not a Church, but a Temple. The question arose as to what is a church and how does it affect property use? The dictionary doesn’t help much when it defines […]

Eminent Domain and Church Property: What California Churches Need to Know

Church Real EstateAdverse Possession, Certified General Appraisal, Condemnation, Eminent Domain, Escrow, Inverse Condemnation

When a government agency seeks to take church property for public use, California churches are entitled to just compensation — but proving fair value is often the real fight, as one landmark case shows.

Tag Archives: Eminent Domain

Special Use Appraisals: Understanding Restricted Property Valuation

What Defines a Church?

Eminent Domain and Church Property: What California Churches Need to Know