An Ohio Man Bought a Street for $5,000. Now the City Wants It Back

In 2021, Jason Fauntleroy thought he’d found a deal of a lifetime when he purchased a vacant lot for just $5,000 at a Butler County Sheriff’s Office auction. But what he didn’t realize at the time was that he hadn’t just bought a single lot — he had inadvertently acquired an entire street in Trenton, Ohio: Bloomfield Court. Now, the city of Trenton wants to reclaim the land through eminent domain. Fauntleroy is fighting back. Screenshot WCPO The Fight with the City Fauntleroy’s drama began in October 2024 when Trenton initiated the eminent domain process to convert the private street into a public roadway. The city wants to take over maintenance responsibilities for the street, which currently serves as access for five homes. Fauntleroy claims the city has not been transparent or fair to him. “They shut me out,” Fauntleroy said, reports WCPO. “They blocked my calls. It’s hard to even get through to anybody.” According to Fauntleroy, the city appraised only the lot he originally intended to buy–and not the total value of the street he now owns. He wants compensation for the entirety of his property, as required by Ohio state law, which mandates “just compensation” for land...