Extra $550,000 Goes to Owners of Property in Path of New Bridge

A Cape May County Superior Court jury returned a verdict of $2.55 million earlier this month in a condemnation case.

The award represents compensation for a property that was taken in connection with the $400 million Route 52 causeway project, which included construction of a towering new fixed-span bridge leading to Ninth Street.

The property, located at the entrance to Ocean City, now the foot of the new Ninth Street Bridge, was taken by the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which originally offered the property owner — 900 Pleasure Avenue, L.L.C. (consisting of the members of the Gill and Coggins families) —$2.1 million. The state’s offer was later reduced to $2 million to reflect a downturn in the real estate market. 

Willis F. Flower, of the law firm Ford, Flower, Hasbrouck and King, successfully represented the owners of the property, and with pre-judgment interest, the recovery will exceed $2.6 million.

Prior to the taking, the property was occupied by TackleDirect, a high-end fishing equipment store, and the public accounting office of Thomas Gill. The location helped the businesses take advantage of the large volume of traffic entering Ocean City from the west.

According to Flower, the jury paid close attention to this detailed technical case.

“My client and I appreciate the jury’s careful consideration, and we respect their verdict,” Flower said. “It appears certain the jury considered the high visibility and heavy traffic as being important factors in its award, which was substantially higher than the government’s offer.”

The trial was presided over by the Hon. J. Christopher Gibson, J.S.C., who was elevated to the Superior Court of New Jersey last spring. The Department of Transportation was represented by Wanda Ortiz, a deputy attorney general. Both attorneys expressed appreciation for Judge Gibson’s conduct of the trial.

Mr. Flower has appeared in other condemnation cases, including a recent trial also involving the causeway project and the Circle Liquor Store. The Circle Liquor Store case involved a partial taking where the state acquired wetlands that did not impact the improvements or the functioning of the store. The jury in that case returned a verdict in the amount of $556,403, which also exceeded the state’s offer.

— News release from WiserLink, Inc., for Ford, Flower, Hasbrouck & King