NEW YORK – Four of dozens of property owners whose land was seized by the federal government for use as parks and trails, have received a total of over $532,000 for their land.
The land included an abandoned railroad line that ran through Dutchess and Putnam counties.
Lindsay Brinton, an attorney with Lewis Rice, filed a challenge and secured payment for the land.
“The federal government issued an order preempting their New York property rights and allowing the abandoned railroad corridor to be converted into a public trail. This is a form of eminent domain, so they are entitled to just compensation when their property is taken for such a public use,” she said. “So, we filed a claim for compensation for these landowners.”
These were the second group of landowners to receive compensation through Lewis Rice. The firm previously recovered more than $1.5 million for other landowners along the corridor.
The private property in question was taken for a 41-mile recreational hiking and biking trail that crosses their land.
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