Now Reading: Massachusetts seizes couple’s new dream home for bridge
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Massachusetts seizes couple’s new dream home for bridge
Marc and Joan Hendel moved into their custom-built home on Cape Cod in March 2025. Four weeks later, a state official hand-delivered a notice that Massachusetts would take the property through eminent…
The Story in Brief
Marc and Joan Hendel moved into their custom-built home on Cape Cod in March 2025. Four weeks later, a state official hand-delivered a notice that Massachusetts would take the property through eminent domain to build a replacement for the Sagamore Bridge. The Hendels are among 13 homeowners in Bourne's Round Hill neighbourhood whose land was selected. State records show Massachusetts has taken 11 of the 13 properties and paid at least $4.8 crore for six homes, more than their combined assessed value of Rs 29.5 crore.
The couple had moved from the Midwest in late 2023 to be closer to family. Their real estate agent did not flag any planned government taking, and the seller's 2023 disclosure said the same. State officials had held public meetings about the bridge project since June 2021, but the Hendels were living outside Massachusetts at the time. Massachusetts is a 'quick take' state, allowing ownership transfer before final compensation is settled. The Hendels now face a tight housing market on Cape Cod, where median home prices are Rs 7.9 crore and new construction is scarce.
The Indian Opinion
This story is not a simple case of government overreach or of homeowners being careless. State planners say the nearly 90-year-old bridge is 'functionally obsolete' and carries 38 lakh vehicle trips a year, making replacement a public safety need. Yet the process left a family who relied on standard disclosures completely unaware until papers arrived. Fair compensation is one thing, the state paid above assessed value for other homes, but can it coverset lifetime property tax hikes on a forced replacement? The real test will be how Massachusetts handles relocation support beyond the cheque.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
