Harvey Cedars Complaining About Payments to Property Owners for Beachfront Takings
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As reported by Donna Weaver in this Press of Atlantic City article, beachfront property owners in Harvey Cedars have recently been paid constitutional just compensation for the taking of their private property rights — private beachfront – by the government.
Harvey Cedars is located on Long Beach Island. As part of a beach replenishment project designed to provide a benefit to all shore visitors, the municipality needed to take property from the owners of beach-front homes. Given the necessity of the takings, the New Jersey Constitution mandates payment of just compensation. Some of the cases have been resolved without the necessity of jury trials, but as noted in the cited article, a jury recently awarded a property owner a substantial sum for the taking of their private property.
Local officials in the Press article complain about the payments made to the property owners, but should bear in mind that these owners did not ask for their property rights to be taken, and are constitutionally guaranteed to receive just compensation.
McKirdy & Riskin’s Tom Olson and Jeff Lewis acted as special condemnation counsel to John and Eileen Troast, who own one of the beachfront properties featured in the Press article.
