An Ohio man looking for land to build a home got more than he bargained for – and now he’s in a bitter battle with the city’s government over what he says rightfully belongs to him.
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According to Cincinnati’s ABC affiliate WCPO, Jason Fauntleroy purchased a plot of land in Trenton, Ohio at a Sherrif’s auction for $5,000 back in 2021. But what he didn’t know at the time was that his money actually bought him the entire street.
Check out a picture of what he bought here:
Fauntleroy told WCPO that the city began efforts to reclaim the land he bought through eminent domain in October. This process allows the government to seize property for public use, but requires them to compensate the owner for the “fair market value of the property.”
Since that time, Fauntleroy has been in a contentious battle with the city, which is only offering him the value of the land he intended to use for his home, rather than appraising the value of the street he purchased.
“They shut me out,” Fauntleroy told WCPO in an interview. “They blocked my calls. It’s hard to even get through anybody.”
Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols told WCPO that the city wants to make the private road in front of Fauntleroy’s home a public road that it maintains. He added that he couldn’t explain how Fauntleroy was able to buy Bloomfield Court at the auction.
“I’m not sure how that occurs other than it was a private drive that was created through a homeowner’s association,” he said. “The homeowner’s association was responsible for maintaining that property and upkeeping it.”
But Fauntleroy says he just wants to be fairly compensated for the land he now owns.
“Treat people fair; do honest work,” he said. “Don’t just take advantage of someone because they don’t have the means of getting an attorney.”
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