Ackerson Kauffman Fex announced yesterday that as a result of its successful representation of property owners in Indiana and other states, $500,000 will be paid to the Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation (IALF), a nonprofit foundation created by the Indiana Farm Bureau.

The United States District Court for Southern Indiana finalized the distribution Wednesday, October 29, 2008. The money comes from a class action settlement of a case pitting landowners in Indiana and other states against Norfolk Southern Railroad. The payment to the IALF is in addition to the money damages and other compensation paid to farmers, homeowners and businesses across Indiana and 15 other states.

Nels Ackerson, class counsel for Indiana property owners, said "Today's payment to the IALF represents the culmination of over 10 years of legal work. We have set strong precedents in this case and in other cases, and we have other property rights class actions that are moving toward settlement. It is gratifying to see the results of a full career of hard work. Because of our firm's vigorous defense of the rights of property owners, Indiana has become a national leader in the protection of property rights."

Indiana Farm Bureau President Don Villwock touted the award as a victory for the people of Indiana. "These funds will help us support landowners in protecting their property rights," he said.

Nels Ackerson became involved in a case like this one when neighbors of the family farm in Indiana complained that companies were laying fiber optic cable on their land without permission. Ackerson Kauffman Fex soon discovered that the violation of property rights was widespread, affecting thousands of homeowners, farmers and businesses throughout the state. The lawsuit that resulted in this award to IALF started in 2000 when Tim Elzinga of Crown Point, Indiana called Nels Ackerson and asked him to represent him and other landowners in Indiana against a company call T-Cubed. The settlement made millions in compensation available to property owners.

Ackerson Kauffman Fex is nationally known for its outstanding success in representing the rights of landowners against large corporations and government entities. If approved by the court, its pending lawsuit settlement will make compensation available for the owners of over 16,000 pieces of property in Indiana alone and 320,000 owners nationwide.