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This blog addresses what is meant by the phrase, “rails-to-trails", details the history of "rails-to-trails", the current status of "rails-to-trails", and explains "rails-to-trails litigation."

One of the questions Stewart, Wald & McCulley is often asked is: “I owned my property on the date the railroad line was authorized for conversion, or when the taking of land occurred, and I’ve filed suit, but what happens if I sell my land before the lawsuit is over?”

This is a fair question, and the answer is simple. Nothing happens.

In January of 2021, the MTA Metro-North Railroad announced it was launching a project to create the Beacon Line Rail Trail. This recreational trail is 41 miles long and will run through Duchess and Putnam Counties. This portion of trail is the continuation of the Empire State Trail project started in 2017 by Governor Cuomo.

When I meet landowners who are learning about rails-to-trails litigation for the first time, they often express a similar sentiment.  Rather than wanting to discuss whether they can recover money from the federal government for a taking of land, they often want to know whether they can hire my law firm, Stewart, Wald & McCulley, to stop the recreational trail from happening at all. 

The simple answer is landowners cannot stop a rail-trail from moving forward by filing a lawsuit.

If you live in or near upstate South Carolina or Western North Carolina, you’ve likely heard of the Saluda Grade Trail or the Saluda Grade Railroad. You may know the history of the railway and have heard about the potential for a new recreational trail. You may be a landowner near the proposed recreational trail and have questions about the plan for the trail, the rights you have as a property owner, or the effect the trail may have on your property.

Stewart, Wald & McCulley is a rails-to-trails law firm that solely practices in the area of helping landowners recover money for land that is taken to create recreational trails. We hope that many of your questions will be answered below. If you are a landowner and will be affected by the Saluda Grade Rail Trail, contact our firm to discuss the specifics of your case.

Stewart, Wald & McCulley represents landowners whose land has been taken by the federal government for rails to trails conversions.

Steve was on location taking a look at a new potential case and thinking about what landowners often share with him when he meets them. Sometimes landowners share they are in favor of the recreational trail, and he informs them that our cases are neutral towards the trail.

Steve was also thinking about constitutional rights, and how important the right is to get compensated when the government takes your land for a public purpose, in this case, a rail-trail.

If you think about the founders of this country, one of the things they were concerned about was that the King of England could not take your land without paying you money. So even if you are in favor of a recreational trail, it does not mean that your land should be taken without paying you something for it.

So, we represent landowners and get money for them for the taking of their land.

Stewart, Wald & McCulley provides you with a brief rundown of the litigation process in a rails-to-trails case, so you know what to expect after your claim is filed.

So, you’ve decided to hire a law firm to pursue your claim for just compensation based on the taking of your land in an abandoned rail corridor for trail use. That’s excellent, but what will the litigation process actually look like? This article provides a brief rundown of the process, so you know what to expect after your claim is filed.

Maybe you heard some news in your community about that inactive railroad next to your property and the plans to turn it into a trail. Maybe you received a letter from a law firm telling you about your rights when it comes to a rail-trail conversion along your property. Or maybe you were talking to your neighbors and heard the news – the news that the quiet railroad corridor that hasn’t seen a train in decades is going to change - change that would bring the general public right along your back yar

Rail-to-trail conversions are only possible thanks to the Trails Act, an act of Congress that allows railroads to offer up their railroad rights-of-way for public recreational hiking and biking use in lieu of abandonment. But what is the National Trails System Act, otherwise known as the Trails Act, and why does it lead to just compensation for landowners?

This guide intends to provide those answers.

One of the most frequent questions in Rails-to-Trails practice is: How, and why, do these landowners own the land in the railroad corridor?  That land within the railroad corridor almost never shows up in the deed that transferred ownership of the adjacent land to the landowners, or in surveys. 

This past year, like years before, Stewart, Wald & McCulley secured millions of dollars for landowners across the country.