Appeals Court Orders NCDOT To Pay Deposits To Landowners

The N.C. Court of Appeals has ordered the state Department of Transportation to pay deposits on properties in the path of a Triad beltway.

The ruling on Tuesday means NCDOT has to begin appraising hundreds of properties in the path of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway and paying deposits. The decision could be appealed to the N.C. Supreme Court, which had already sent the case back to the lower courts.

Landowners began suing the state in 2011 to force NCDOT to buy their property. They argued that the declaration of a beltway corridor in effect caused a taking of their properties by limiting their rights to subdivide or develop.

The appeals court agreed and implied the state was using the appeals process to stall payments to the landowners.

The state Attorney General's Office said it was reviewing the decision and would work with NCDOT to determine its next steps.