Coventry Takes Control Of Johnson's Pond, Winning Public Domain Case

COVENTRY, RI — Coventry has become the official owner of Johnson's Pond after a judge on Friday morning ruled in favor of the town in a public domain case.

The news came a week after the town condemned the dam at the pond and filed a lawsuit against former owner Soscia Holdings, LLC, requesting ownership. Coventry is now the title vested owner of Johnson's Pond and its associated land, dam and structures. The court also ruled in favor of the town's proposed valuation of $157,000 which was deposited in the court registry Friday.

The pond's dam and water flow rights were sold to Soscia Holding in 2020. Since the sale, the pond's water levels has created controversy between residents and Soscia holdings. Town and state environmental officials argued Soscia Holdings lowered the water levels to the point the dam was at risk of breaching. About 700 residents live around Johnson's Pond.

Soscia Holdings has blamed the town for the pond's maintenance and accused the town of prioritizing recreation on the pond over safety. Patrick Dougherty, the attorney representing Soscia Holdings argued the dam spillway needs emergency repairs, and the water levels must be lowered to make fixes to several leaks, WPRI 12 reported in April.

"Although my client’s ownership of Johnson’s Pond has come to an end, the process of vindication of its right to fair and just compensation is just beginning," attorney Patrick Dougherty told WPRI 12. "Soscia Holdings looks forward to exercising its right to due process and fair compensation through the judicial system and, in the process, exposing the injustice, misrepresentation and misdeeds of the Town of Coventry and those others involved in what has transpired."

The town offered Soscia Holdings more than $1.5 million to buy Johnson's pond and the surrounding land, but the company has argued the offer was inadequate and valued the property at more than $100 million.

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