Homeowners
Individual property owners, including families and older residents, who do not want to lose their homes to a government taking. We make sure they understand the offer in front of them and recover the full value the law entitles them to.
Real Property,Real Outcomes,Statewide.
A value-added eminent domain practice that has seen it all. Acting as statewide counsel for New Jersey property owners and businesses in real estate redevelopment and business litigation.
Representing clients in all 21 New Jersey counties.
From the Hudson waterfront to the Delaware Bay, we appear in county tax boards, the New Jersey Tax Court, the Superior Court and the federal District of New Jersey on behalf of property owners and business clients statewide.
- 21
- Counties
- 564
- Municipalities
Click any county
Carlin Ward’s Notable Wins and Recovery
Eminent Domain
400 Bergen Turnpike
We came in as statewide counsel and closed this one at five and a half times the original offer.
Settlement$55,000,000
Offered$9,996,000Settlement$55,000,000
+450%Return above offer
5.5× the original offer · $45,004,000 recovered above the authority’s first numberRidgefield Park VillageBergen County
Eminent Domain
400 Bergen Turnpike
We came in as statewide counsel and closed this one at five and a half times the original offer.
Settlement$55,000,000
Offered$9,996,000Settlement$55,000,000
+450%Return above offer
5.5× the original offer · $45,004,000 recovered above the authority’s first numberMaximizing just compensation.
When the government takes private property in New Jersey, it has to pay you for it. That’s the Fifth Amendment. But what the State has to pay and what it offers are two different numbers, and the gap is usually millions.
Our job is to close that gap. We work the valuation: highest and best use, comparable sales, severance damages, business loss claims. Every lever the law gives a property owner, we use. The result is the difference between signing the first offer and recovering what your property is actually worth.
If the State, a utility, or a redeveloper has come for your land, talk to us before you sign anything.
Providing value added legal services since 2002.
Carlin, Ward, Ash & Heiart LLC is an important resource for property owners, developers and business leaders. Our team of civil litigation attorneys brings together decades of collective experience in real estate law as well as business and commercial law.
2002
Founded in Florham Park, NJ
$60M
Record Amtrak condemnation settlement
20+
Years of trial and transaction work
“In February 2020, CWAH Partner Michael J. Ash was designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Certified Trial Attorney, a distinction held by fewer than two percent of attorneys statewide.”
Eminent Domain / Condemnation
Statewide New Jersey representation for property owners facing partial or total takings. We run the appraisal work, the engineering review, and the trial. Same practice whether you call it eminent domain or condemnation.
Who We Represent
Our clientele ranges from single family homeowners fighting to stay on their land to redevelopers, businesses, and government entities.
Business Owners
Owners of commercial property and operating businesses caught up in a condemnation, a redevelopment designation, or a forced move. We account for lost access, fixtures, and the cost of relocating operations.
Developers and Redevelopers
Real estate developers and designated redevelopers working through acquisition and valuation disputes. We handle the litigation that tends to follow large projects, from the first negotiation to trial.
Municipalities and Government
Towns, agencies, and other public bodies that need condemnation and real estate counsel on their side of a matter. We advise on acquisition strategy, valuation, and the rules that govern public takings.
Religious and Charitable Organizations
Houses of worship, schools, and charities whose property sits at the center of their work. We step in when a taking threatens the place a community depends on.
Recognition
All HonorsCertified Trial Attorney, Michael J. Ash
2020Recognition for Eminent Domain Practice
Multiple YearsCoverage of Notable Condemnation Verdicts
OngoingAV Preeminent, Peer Review Rated
Current
News & Publications
Commentary on New Jersey real estate, condemnation and commercial litigation developments, from the people who try the cases.
Read Insights
Attorney Referrals
CWAH offers referral fees for attorneys who refer specialized litigation, including eminent domain and tax appeals matters.
Refer a MatterRequest a consultation.
Submissions go straight to one of our partners. We read every one personally and respond if your matter is a fit.