Veteran eminent domain lawyer George M. Johnson, with the assistance of Andereck, Evans lawyers Shawn Battagler and Megan McCord challenged the City of Branson, Missouri at trial and persuaded a Taney County jury to award in favor of the firm’s clients.
Long time Branson residents, Darrel and Virginia Ledbetter, bought their farm north of Branson in 1967. Since then the City of Branson has grown around their property which has its northern most boundary along Hwy 248 and Gretna Road.
In March of 2006 the City of Branson condemned a 3.7 acre roadway easement through the middle of the Ledbetter’s commercial frontage in order to gain a second access to a public school. A panel of court-appointed commissioners awarded the Ledbetters $160,000 at that time.
Following two days of trial, a Taney County Jury awarded landowners $660,000 at the trial on exceptions to a commissioners’ award of $160,000. An additional $114,246.58 in prejudgment interest was applied to the judgment, bringing the total award to $774,246.58.
