If an owner refuses eminent domain, the government must:

• A. Initiate condemnation action in court
• B. File a tax lien against the property
• C. File for escheat
• D. Abandon the project

Answer: (A)

Em Dennis domain gives the government the power to take private land for public use, but the process must be lawful and compensate the owner. When the owner refuses to sell, the government must start a condemnation action in court to compel the taking and establish just compensation. The court reviews the necessity and legality of the taking and determines how much the owner must be paid, with the owner able to challenge the taking and the compensation. This formal court process is what enforces the acquisition when voluntary sale doesn’t occur. The other options don’t fit: a tax lien handles tax obligations, escheat applies when there are no heirs or ownership reverts to the state, and abandoning the project would terminate the effort rather than complete the acquisition.