Usually, the state of Texas wins eminent domain cases. But in the case of Fairfield Lake State Park, the state was beat out by a private developer from Dallas. Here’s how.
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LA GRULLA, Texas The federal government said it needed Ociel Mendoza s land on the outskirts of this tiny Texas town and it couldn t wait any longer.
Each additional day of delay was costing the government $15,000 as contractors waited to begin construction on the border fence slated to go through Mendoza s ranch, the Department of Justice argued in court filings. By Nov. 24, the tab for the delay had reached nearly $1.6 million, the land acquisition manager for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an affidavit.
The federal government said it needed Ociel Mendoza s land on the outskirts of this tiny Texas town - and it couldn t wait any longer.
Each additional day of delay was costing the government $15,000 as contractors waited to begin construction on the border fence slated to go through Mendoza s ranch, the Department of Justice argued in court filings. By Nov. 24, the tab for the delay had reached nearly $1.6 million, the land acquisition manager for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an affidavit.
More than a year earlier, CBP had awarded a contract then worth $33 million to a New Mexico-based company to build 4 miles of fencing in Starr County. The county is one of the top targets of President Donald Trump s administration for a border wall and a place agents have called the most volatile stretch in the nation. Construction was slated to begin in November 2019, the agency announced.
Trump Still Authorizing Contracts For Border Wall â On Land That Government Doesnât Own Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead
Reprinted with permission from ProPublica LA GRULLA, Texas â The federal government said it needed Ociel Mendoza s land on the outskirts of this tiny Texas town â and it couldn t wait any longer. Each additional day of delay was costing the government $15,000 as contractors waited to begin construction on the border fence slated to go through Mendoza s ranch, the Department of Justice argued in court filings. By Nov. 24, the tab for the delay had reached nearly $1.6 million, the land acquisition manager for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in an affidavit.
The Trump Administration Keeps Awarding Border Wall Contracts but Doesn’t Own the Land to Build On
The government’s strategy of awarding contracts before acquiring titles to land in Texas has led to millions of dollars in costs for delays. Things could get even more complicated if President-elect Joe Biden stops border wall construction.
Dec. 23, 2020, 5 a.m. CST
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This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Sign up for The Brief weekly to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues.