TRENTON, Ohio — Jason Fauntleroy bought a vacant lot in Trenton, Ohio three years ago for about $5,000 at Butler County Sheriff's Office auction, hoping to build a home on it. With the purchase came more than just a lot: He bought the entire street of Bloomfield Court.
In October, the city began the process of reclaiming the land through eminent domain and Fauntleroy said he isn't being offered all he deserves. He said instead of assessing all of the land, including the street, only the lot was appraised.
Fauntleroy called his interactions with the city of Trenton a "nightmare."
"They shut me out," Fauntleroy said. "They blocked my calls. It’s hard to even get through anybody.”
Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols told us the city's actions were the result of contentious conversations and Fauntleroy's behavior.
Fauntleroy says he just wants the full and fair value. We took his unanswered questions to the city of Trenton.
Nichols said the reason he was able to purchase the street in the first place 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," Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols said. "The homeowner’s association was responsible for maintaining that property and upkeeping it.”
Fauntleroy owns everything outlined in blue on the map below.
When we asked Nichols why only a portion of the lot was appraised, he wasn't able to elaborate.
"I cannot speak to the appraised value," Nichols said.
Nichols said the city's goal is to convert the private drive into a public roadway so that the city can be responsible for maintaining it.
Still, Fauntleroy wants what he's due.
“Treat people fair; do honest work," Fauntleroy asked of the city. “Don’t just take advantage of someone because they don’t have the means of getting an attorney.”
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