TRENTON — A man bought a vacant lot in Trenton three years ago for about $5,000 at a Butler County Sheriff’s Office auction, but he didn’t buy the lot. His purchase came with the entire street it was on.
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Jason Fauntleroy owns Bloomfield Court in Trenton, but now the city wants it back and property.
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In October, the city began the process of reclaiming the land through eminent domain. Fauntleroy told our news partners at WCPO that he isn’t being offered what he deserves. Instead of assessing all of the land, including the street, he said only the lot was appraised.
He called his interactions with the city a “nightmare.”
“They shut me out,” Fauntleroy said. “They blocked my calls. It’s hard to even get through anybody.”
Trenton’s city manager told WCPO that the city’s actions were the result of contentious conversations and Fauntleroy’s behavior.
Fauntleroy said he just wants the full and fair value.
WCPO took his unanswered questions to the city. Marcos Nichols, Trenton’s City Manager, said the reason he was able to purchase the street to begin with is not totally clear.
“I’m not sure how that occurs other than it was a private drive that was created through a homeowner’s association,” Nichols said. “The homeowner’s association was responsible for maintaining that property and upkeeping it.”
Nichols wasn’t able to elaborate when asked why only a portion of the lot was appraised. But he did say that the city’s goal is to convert the private drive into a public roadway so that the city can be responsible for maintaining it.
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