A man was left both upset and baffled when he discovered a property had inexplicably materialized on his land.
Dr. Daniel Kenigsberg, who acquired a half-acre plot at 51 Sky Top Terrace in Connecticut in 1991, had left the area untouched for many years.
Kenigsberg had chosen the land due to its proximity to his childhood home. Over the years, multiple offers were made to purchase the land from him, but he consistently refused.
He reportedly had no plans to sell the property or develop it, intending instead to eventually pass it on to his heirs in its original state.
However, in 2022, the property was sold without Kenigsberg’s consent.
His discovery of a four-bedroom house being constructed was only made after a friend informed him of the development near his childhood home, according to a report by the Washington Post last year.
The subsequent investigation revealed that an individual from Johannesburg had impersonated him, selling the 0.45-acre property to a real estate company named 51 Sky Top Partners LLC.
The company had bought the land for $350,000 and commenced building a house, which was listed for nearly $1.5 million by October 2022.
Kenigsberg proceeded to file a lawsuit against the firm on nine counts, including trespass, statutory theft, and unfair trade practices.
The legal action aimed to nullify the sale of the land, with Kenigsberg seeking $2 million in damages.
In retaliation, Sky Top Partners filed a suit against Anthony Monelli, the lawyer they employed, as well as the real estate company and agent who listed the land in 2022, claiming ignorance of the unauthorized sale.
According to Supercar Blondie, these lawsuits have reportedly been settled, and the controversial four-bedroom house has been sold.
In response to his ordeal, Kenigsberg has advised other landowners to vigilantly monitor their properties.
“If you live in California and you have land in Vermont, you’d better have somebody keeping an eye on it,” he advised CT Insider.
Regarding the settlement, Kenigsberg expressed ‘mixed emotions.’
“I have very profound concerns about the diligence of law enforcement,” he remarked.
“At least to my knowledge the perpetrator has not been found, has not been stopped and therefore is most likely preying on other people.”