In Trenton, Ohio, an unusual situation has unfolded involving a land purchase that unexpectedly included an entire street. This started in 2021, when Jason Fauntleroy paid $5,000 to acquire a plot of land on Bloomfield Court, which is located just north of Cincinnati.
Fauntleroy acquired the land at a Butler County Sheriff’s Office auction, intending to construct a house. However, the transaction resulted in him owning not just the plot but also the entirety of the road, which serves five other homes in the vicinity.
While he did not acquire ownership of these additional properties, Fauntleroy became accountable for the maintenance of Bloomfield Court, the road that provides access to them.
In an interview with WCPO, Trenton City Manager Marcos Nichols remarked: “I’m not sure how that occurs other than it was a private drive that was created through a homeowner’s association. The homeowner’s association was responsible for maintaining that property and upkeeping it.”
After three years, the city initiated proceedings to reclaim the road through eminent domain, leading Fauntleroy to feel inadequately compensated for his land.
Although Nichols previously refrained from discussing the appraised value, he has now communicated that the situation has been “resolved.”
He stated: “The case was settled and the private road has been accepted as a City maintained road.”
Nichols elaborated: “Since this road was never a City road, but a private road that was maintained by the Home Owners’ Association (HOA) we have incorporated this road into our local paving project for this year – after conducting a road assessment we found that the final top coat of asphalt had never been applied and we intend on bringing the road up to our standards which is beneficial from a driving and drainage perspective.”
This development aligns with Nichols’ previous statements about the city’s intention to convert Bloomfield Court into a public road. As a result, Fauntleroy is no longer responsible for the maintenance of the road that serves other homes in the area.