<P> Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (Singapore), compulsory purchase (United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption / compulsory acquisition (Australia), or expropriation (France, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Canada, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Chile, Denmark, Sweden, Germany) is the power of a state, provincial, or national government to take private property for public use . However, this power can be legislatively delegated by the state to municipalities, government subdivisions, or even to private persons or corporations, when they are authorized by the legislature to exercise the functions of public character . </P> <P> In the Anglo - American historical context, property taken could be used only by the government taking the property in question . The most common uses of property taken by eminent domain have been for roads, government buildings and public utilities . However, in the mid-20th century, a new application of eminent domain was pioneered, in which the government could take the property and transfer it to a private third party . This was initially done only to "blighted" property, on the principle that such properties had a negative impact upon surrounding property owners, but was later expanded to allow the taking of any private property when the new 3rd party owner could develop the property in such a way as to bring in increased tax revenues to the government . </P>

The condemnation of private property for public use is allowed under the state's right of