Certified Takings

A certified taking is recorded in the City Clerk’s records when the Grantor (seller) does not agree with the monetary compensation offered by the public agency, in this case redevelopment, but must submit his/her property to the agency for said compensation through the state statutes of eminent domain.

Property owners can use the option of rejecting the agency‘s initial offer through a neutral board of review in Hartford. As an example, the Soltz family filed an appeal in 1966 over the sum offered by redevelopment for their three properties on John Street. To the Grantor’s (Soltz family) satisfaction, the appeal board awarded a higher offer with which redevelopment had to comply and the property deeds were conveyed to the City of New London acting on behalf of redevelopment. There was no forced seizure of the property through eminent domain, no certifed taking.

On the other hand, as another example, Mrs. Rosa Shankle refused to sell her Main Street home and business for any offered price and thus through eminent domain was forced to accept the review board‘s award and walk away. This constituted a certified taking.

Many homeowners found themselves unable to buy another home with their amount of compensation.