Each person seeking to take property by eminent domain shall be named as a plaintiff.
§ 1250.210.Persons Named As Plaintiffs
Title 7. Eminent Domain Law · Chapter 5. Commencement of Proceeding · Article 3. Parties; Joinder of Property · Enacted 1975 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1250.210 requires every person or public entity seeking to acquire property through eminent domain to appear in the proceeding as a named plaintiff, rather than merely as an interested party or intervenor.
Full Text of § 1250.210
Plain-English Summary
Eminent domain cases can involve more than one government agency or entity with authority to condemn the same property, and this section makes clear how each one has to show up in the lawsuit.
Anyone seeking to take property by eminent domain is named as a plaintiff — not a co-defendant, not an intervenor, not a party joined some other way. That plaintiff role reflects the reality of the case: the party doing the taking is the party asking the court for relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a condemning agency appear in an eminent domain lawsuit?
As a plaintiff. Section 1250.210 requires every person or entity seeking to take property by eminent domain to be named that way.
Can more than one entity be a plaintiff in the same proceeding?
Yes, when more than one entity is seeking to take the property, each is named as a plaintiff.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 1275.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: who is plaintiff in eminent domain casecondemning agency as plaintiff