Infrastructure Junkies! Exploring Eminent Domain, Right of Way, and Infrastructure Development (formerly The Pendulum Land Podcast)

In this episode, Infrastructure Junkies! hosts Dave Arnold and Kristen Short engage with guests Anthony DellaPelle and Ross Greene to explore the significance of the prestigious CRE (Counselors of Real Estate) certification. They discuss the rigorous application process, the multidisciplinary nature of the organization, and the value of networking among top-tier real estate professionals. They examine how the CRE certification demo...

Have you been enthralled with the hit TV show "Landman", featured on Paramount+?  Spoiler alert....we have!  In this episode, hosts Dave and Kristen explore the hit TV show 'Landman' starring Billy Bob Thornton, delving into the realities of the landman profession. They discuss the differences between landmen and right-of-way agents, the process of leasing minerals, and the negotiations involved. Jim Newcomb, a seasoned landman, sh...

In this special episode, Taralyn Romero, known to some as the 'Wicked Witch of the West', joins Infrastructure Junkies to discuss her tumultuous journey through the maze of property rights after purchasing a home with a creek in Colorado. Taralyn shares her painful experiences being sued by the government and the community backlash she faced for protecting the property rights she rightfully purchased back in 2020. The conversation ...

This episode is all about the International Right of Way Association's Annual Educational Conference to be held in Virginia Beach from June 1-4, 2025.  Hear from Jane White, the City's Director of Destination Services, who gives great insight into why Virginia Beach will be an exciting and fun location for the 2025 conference.  Dave and Kristen are then joined by the conference co-chairs, Carrilin Hirsch and Greg Smith, who give gr...

In this episode of Infrastructure Junkies, hosts Dave Arnold and Kristen Short discuss the recent changes to the Uniform Relocation Act, focusing on the Final Rule that was implemented after a decade of waiting. They are joined by relocation expert Lisa Harrison of Pinnacle Consulting Management Group, Inc., who provides insights into the distinctions between the federal statute and regulations in the CFR, the implications of the F...

How do you get to know the newest leader of the premier right of way trade association?  An interview with Infrastructure Junkies, of course!

In this episode, Dave and Kristen interview Denise Skinner, the incoming International Right of Way Association (IRWA) president. They discuss Denise's motivation for assuming such a significant leadership role within the IRWA and her experience on the International Executive Committee (IEC)....

In this episode of Infrastructure Junkies, your hosts are joined by guests Matt Harris and Ray Mehler to discuss various topics related to right-of-way professionals and pop culture. The first theme discussed is relocation, with the hosts and guests sharing their experiences and insights on becoming relocation experts. The second theme revolves around the final rule, which provides benefits for displaced individuals in federal and ...

The best way to understand why we have our standard eminent domain laws and procedures may be to learn through a good story.

Houston attorney Bobby Debelak of the law firm McDowell Hetherington joins Infrastructure Junkies to tell the story of Robert Moses, who amassed incredible power despite never being elected to a public office. Morris utilized eminent domain to accomplish some of the most amazing infrastructure projects in New...

A right of way professional cannot overlook the importance of a good title search.  Keri Dupey from HDR, Inc. joins Infrastructure Junkies to explain and review the significance of title searches, title reports and title examinations of property subject to condemnation or eminent domain.

This episode was generously sponsored by Pendulum Land Services, LLC, a DBE and SWaM certified right of way company headquartered in the mid-Atlan...

The popular Eminent Domain Podcast signed off after a successful six year run.  The Eminent Domain Podcast's host, Texas attorney Clint Schumacher, joins the Infrastructure Junkies to reflect upon his show, his experiences, and all that he learned from being the pioneer podcast for the eminent domain industry.  Listen in while Clint is on the business end of a rough cross examination!

This episode of Infrastructure Junkies was gr...

Christina Thoreson, Anthony Alderman and Ross Greene return to Infrastructure Junkies for more!  Will eminent domain and right of way appraisers be replaced by artificial intelligence ( "AI" )?  Can AI supplement or improve appraisal methodology?  Wouldn't the use of AI remove inherent human bias in testimony?  The group also discusses the sales comparison approach in appraisal and how it too can be manipulated, manipulation of hig...

Infrastructure Junkies invited two of their favorite real estate appraisers, Christina Thoreson and Anthony Alderman, to discuss a variety of hot appraisal topics encountered in right of way acquisitions and eminent domain cases.  Attorney Ross Greene (Mr. "chicken sacrificing voodoo" himself) infuses the conversation with more than his fair share of cynical color commentary.  Easements - types and effects on value.  Is there reall...

Shant Boyajian of Nossaman, LLP joins the Infrastructure Junkies to update listeners on the progress of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  Has this funding caused the dramatic boom in the right of way industry as predicted?  What projects are being funded and how?  Have there been any surprises?  Is this just the beginning or is the money running out? And what's next for the right of way industry?  Listen in for answers t...

Eminent domain can seem oppressive and unfair.  The American system of compulsory acquisition features constitutional restrictions and obligations, as well as numerous duties imposed on condemning authorities and rights conferred upon impacted landowners.  Our right of way acquisition process has come a long way, yet imperfections persist.  Do we have the best system in the world? Is it fair enough? Are there loopholes that still n...

Renowned Author Howard Mansfield returns to Infrastructure Junkies to discuss two more chapters of his book, The Habit of Turning the World Upside Down.  In this Season 4 finale, Howard tackles "The Last Medieval Claim" by recounting some of the earliest battles for American soil which occurred in the courts across the ocean, and involved people who never set foot in North America.

Then the conversation turns to "The Pipeline in th...

Dominion Energy Senior Counsel Karla Carter joins Infrastructure Junkies to discuss the complicated history of heirs property issues.  What exactly is "heirs property"? What are the effects--both intended and unintended--on certain segments of the American population?  What are our obligations to heirs property in the right of way context?  

When condemning agencies encounter parcels of property which were inherited by its currents...

Southeastern Virginia is comprised of seven cities, each of which is waterfront, and many of which are separated by large bodies of water.  The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel was constructed in the mid 1950's to connect Norfolk and Virginia Beach with Newport News and Hampton without obstructing marine traffic.  The Virginia Department of Transportation launched one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America to expand the...

A controversial and sometimes shady right of way project may be single-handedly responsible for the City of Los Angeles as we know it, and all that it represents.  The Los Angeles Aqueduct, the brain child of William Mulholland and Fred Eaton, miraculously transformed a sleepy oil town into a world famous metropolis.  Armchair Engineer Adam Ratliff (TikTok: @armchairengineer) joins Infrastructure Junkies to explain the genesis of t...

Waterfront property lawyer Bryan Peeples joins the Infrastructure Junkies to discuss exclusive rights enjoyed by waterfront property owners -- better known as "riparian property rights".  Bryan explains that riparian rights are valuable real property rights which, in most cases, cannot be taken without just compensation.  Bryan defines each of the five riparian rights and explains how to exercise them. Bryan also explains some key ...