Windfall!

The Texas Department of Transportation has decided to expand Interstate 35 thru our part of the country. Ms. Lucki Duck and I purchased 5 acres of land along the freeway about 12 years ago as an investment and TxDOT  notified us last October that they needed part of our property for the expansion. We met with their appraiser last fall and have been waiting for an offer since then.

We were both a little apprehensive about the offer because we really don't have much of a say in the deal. The state makes an offer, you make one counter offer, and they either accept your counter or condemn your property and give you the original offer price. Oh, they don't put it quite so bluntly, but the bottom line is that we have very little  (if any) leverage in this situation.

Taking the county's appraised value of our property, multiplying the percentage of the property the state was interested in, and adding a small "nuisance fee," we came up with a figure of approximately $6,500 as an acceptable offer.

Yesterday, a representative for TxDOT met with us and made an offer of ... $12,650.

In the words of our friend Charlie Sheeh, "WIN!"

It's the first time I've dealt with any form of government where I didn't feel like I needed a jar of vaseline.

So, although I didn't win it at the poker table, it was a good day for the Duck household.

Till next time, win the flips.