Man Buys Land for R$ 25,000 and Discovers He Owns an Entire Street — Now the City Wants It Back

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 05/07/2025 at 17:57

Updated on 05/07/2025 at 17:58

Foto: Reprodução

17 people reacted to this.

When Buying a Lot, Jason Fauntleroy Became Owner of an Entire Street — And the City Wants to Condemn

In 2021, at an auction held by the Butler County sheriff in Trenton, Ohio, Jason Fauntleroy believed he had acquired a simple empty lot for about US$ 5,000 — around R$ 25 thousand — with the dream of building his house.

To his surprise, the property also included the entire Bloomfield Court, a private street with five residences, which unexpectedly became his property.

In other words, there was no fraud; the city sold the land believing it was smaller than it actually was, but in reality, it sold the whole street to a single owner.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Eminent Domain Process: The City Steps In

In October 2024, the city of Trenton initiated an eminent domain process, claiming the need to convert the private street into a public road to ensure access and standardize maintenance.

However, what made this case even more sensitive was precisely the amount offered to Fauntleroy.

The assessment presented by the city included only the value of the lot where he intended to build his house — and did not consider the street itself, which is a substantial part of the land purchased.

Jason stated that he is being “ignored” by the municipal authorities:

“They left me out… blocked my phone calls. It’s hard to even talk to someone”

Fair Value: What Ohio Law Says

Under Ohio law, in cases of eminent domain, the property owner is entitled to “just compensation”, which must reflect the full market value of the voluntarily confiscated land.

Experts refer to previous decisions, such as in the case City of Norwood v. Horney (2006), when the Ohio Supreme Court stated that merely economic benefit does not constitute sufficient public use, and that the city must respect individual property rights.

Although the city claims a lack of clarity regarding how Jason acquired the street — pointing out that it originally belonged to a homeowners association —, the practical reality is that Fauntleroy holds the title to the land and must be respected.

The Current Status (July 2025)

Legal Ownership: Jason remains officially the owner of Bloomfield Court until the eminent domain process is concluded.
Pending Assessment: the city has not yet adjusted the offered amount, maintaining the initial proposal limited to the lot, without considering the street.
Trends — Progressive in Rights: public concern is growing over respect for property rights, with experts emphasizing that if the city insists on paying less than the total market value, Jason may appeal to the court and demand a public hearing or jury, as established by American law.

Man Buys Land for R$ 25,000 and Discovers He Owns an Entire Street — Now the City Wants It Back

When Buying a Lot, Jason Fauntleroy Became Owner of an Entire Street — And the City Wants to Condemn

Eminent Domain Process: The City Steps In

Fair Value: What Ohio Law Says

The Current Status (July 2025)

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While communities suffer from water scarcity and the advancing desert, women in Morocco use nets high up in the mountains to trap fog droplets, fill reservoirs, and transport drinking water through more than 10 km of piping.

Volkswagen admits to Reuters that the value of its cars is falling in Brazil due to the aggressive entry of Chinese companies like BYD, but asserts that it will not enter a price war and believes it is well-positioned to hold back the advance.

How to make charcoal in the backyard using a small oven covered with galvanized sheets and sealed with fine soil, in a traditional Filipino technique called pugon that yields up to one and a half bags of charcoal per burn.

You won’t believe how industrial egg production works in Brazil and the level of technology behind millions of units produced every day.

Material practically banned for almost 90 years makes a strong comeback in construction: made of hemp and lime, it insulates 15 times more than concrete, absorbs CO₂ over the centuries, and challenges an industry that helped push it out of the market.

Man Buys Land for R$ 25,000 and Discovers He Owns an Entire Street — Now the City Wants It Back

When Buying a Lot, Jason Fauntleroy Became Owner of an Entire Street — And the City Wants to Condemn

Eminent Domain Process: The City Steps In

Fair Value: What Ohio Law Says

The Current Status (July 2025)

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

While cities spend fortunes patching potholes and tons of plastic become waste, the Netherlands transforms over 218,000 recycled cups into a modular bike path that can conceal drainage, cables, and pipes.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Panasonic surprises housewives with the NA-G5 featuring four drums, a 13 kg washer and dryer, a 12 kg dryer, independent mini washers, a heat pump, and a 4-in-1 system awarded at the German Design Award.

While communities suffer from water scarcity and the advancing desert, women in Morocco use nets high up in the mountains to trap fog droplets, fill reservoirs, and transport drinking water through more than 10 km of piping.

How to make charcoal in the backyard using a small oven covered with galvanized sheets and sealed with fine soil, in a traditional Filipino technique called pugon that yields up to one and a half bags of charcoal per burn.

You won’t believe how industrial egg production works in Brazil and the level of technology behind millions of units produced every day.

The Brazilian who saw value where everyone saw trash: entrepreneur transforms discarded cans into durable furniture, creates patented technique, and shows that sustainability can turn into income and future.

Man transforms a giant trunk from one of the largest trees in the world, nearly a thousand years old, into a cabin with beds, kitchen, and bathroom, and now wants to take the historic piece to become a roadside tourist attraction.

Volkswagen admits to Reuters that the value of its cars is falling in Brazil due to the aggressive entry of Chinese companies like BYD, but asserts that it will not enter a price war and believes it is well-positioned to hold back the advance.

How to make charcoal in the backyard using a small oven covered with galvanized sheets and sealed with fine soil, in a traditional Filipino technique called pugon that yields up to one and a half bags of charcoal per burn.

You won’t believe how industrial egg production works in Brazil and the level of technology behind millions of units produced every day.

Material practically banned for almost 90 years makes a strong comeback in construction: made of hemp and lime, it insulates 15 times more than concrete, absorbs CO₂ over the centuries, and challenges an industry that helped push it out of the market.