The government process of taking private property for public use is known as what?

The government process of taking private property for public use is referred to as condemnation. This legal procedure allows the government to acquire private land or property, typically for infrastructure projects like roads, schools, or other public facilities. The process is grounded in the principle of eminent domain, which stipulates that the government has the right to take private property for public use, provided that the property owner is compensated fairly.

In this context, condemnation involves legal proceedings to establish the necessity of the property acquisition and to determine the appropriate compensation for the owner. This ensures that while the government can fulfill its obligations to the public, the rights of individual property owners are also respected and compensated for their loss.

Other terms in the question refer to different concepts in property law, but none relate directly to the acquisition of property for public use. Escheat refers to the reversion of property to the state when an owner dies without a will and no heirs are able to claim the property. Foreclosure is the process by which a lender repossesses property due to the owner's failure to make mortgage payments. Non-conforming use pertains to zoning laws, where a property doesn't conform to current zoning regulations but is allowed to continue in its current use. Each of these concepts serves a distinct purpose