After more than 40 years, a Tarrant County homeowner said she's moving due to eminent domain. Dora Overton, 79, said her battle with TxDOT has come to an end and is now figuring out where to live.
"It's sad that you work so hard to gain something and it's so easily taken," said Overton while movers worked to pack up her home on Thursday.
The great-grandmother said she and her late husband raised their two kids, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren inside the home on the corner lot on Royal Oaks Dr. in Forest Hill.
"We've had a joyous time here," said Overton as she reflected on the past four decades.
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"I think we were very blessed, my daughters they had a good life here, so this is the gathering place. When a holiday comes or if you just want come over, you can always come here. My great-grandchildren enjoyed rolling around in the den," said Overton.
Back in 2020 while in the hospital sick with COVID-19, she said she received a letter in the mail from TxDOT about the expansion plan for I-20, which is directly south of her home.
The construction is part of the $1.6 billion Southeast Connector project. It will widen I-20 to 10 main lanes from I-820 to US 287, and I-820 to eight main lanes from I-20 to Spur 303 (Rosedale Street) and reconstruct the I-20, I-820, and US 287 interchanges.
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"I’m not opposed to moving, not at all, I see the traffic on I-20 every day and I know something needs to be done, and I appreciate them wanting to do something, I just don’t appreciate how they did it to me," explained Overton.
An attorney, who worked for free, represented Overton over the last few years as they fought TxDOT. Recently they settled, she said because it wasn't looking good either way. Overton said while her pro-bono attorney worked to get more money, the amount doesn't equate to what she said is needed to find a new place.
"It's not giving me a chance to find a location to try and buy what I feel to be comparable to what I got," said Overton about her 1,600 sq. foot home.
She wouldn't disclose how much the state paid for the property but said it's not enough.
"There’s no way I can buy a replacement home with what they gave me, no way," said Overton.
“They said they gave me a fair market value, but fair market value in this day and time is nothing compared to the seller's market," said Overton.
The Tarrant County Appraisal District has the market value of her home listed at just above $163,000.
"If I were to blame anybody it would be the government, from the president down. I’m not the only one they’ve done like this, I don’t want you to think that. I’ve done some reading, there's plenty people who've gone through the same thing I’ve gone through, but it’s still not fair," said Overton. "We can send thousands and millions of dollars overseas, but we can’t take care of our own, that’s a sad situation.”
For now, Overton plans to live with a friend while she hopes home prices drop.
Meanwhile, she's focused on packing up all of her family's memories and recognizes it's a sad moment for her children.
"It hurts my heart for them to have to walk through and cry knowing that they can’t come back and there won’t be a house for them to come back to," said Overton. "I’m looking forward to making new memories you know somewhere else and that’s what I tell them in consolation to keep me from crying."
Overton said she remains optimistic because she has faith God has bigger plans for her.
TxDOT said 37 businesses and 16 residential properties were acquired for the Southeast Connector project, including Ms. Overton’s.
