MD Court Rules On Quick Take

In a significant opinion published Thursday, Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City v. George Valsamaki, et al., the Maryland Court of Appeals severly limited Baltimore City's streamlined eminent domain procedure known as "Quick-Take." The Baltimore City Quick-take statute, located at Section 21-16 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Baltimore City, allows the City to take immediate possession of a property deemed to be in the "public interest" without having to wade through a lengthy court process. The Daily Record ran a story on the ruling entitled "Ruling A Blow To City’s ‘Quick Take’ Condemnation Practice" (subscription). The Sun also ran a story entitled "'Quick Take' Takes A Hit."