Condemnation and Forfeiture

Condemnation is the legal procedure by which the government, pursuant to its eminent domain powers, proceeds to take real property (land and anything attached to it) from its owner in exchange for compensation. Property owners can oppose condemnation proceedings brought by government officials, or can choose not to oppose the proceedings but oppose the amount of compensation offered by the government.
Forfeiture proceedings are proceedings by which the government proceeds to take property away from its owner, often because the property was involved in a crime, such as a car used in transporting or selling drugs. Under certain circumstances, the property owner may be successful in opposing the forfeiture of the property.