Atlantic City New Jersey

A family, a pawn broker and an elderly widow were all threatened with a condemnation law (America’s equivalent of a compulsory purchase order) that would have forced them to sell their properties to the Casino Development Reinvestment Authority who would give it to Donald Trump, in a saga that lasted for five years.

The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City lay next to the widow’s home, the family owned restaurant and the pawn shop. All three refused to sell while the CDRA tried to enforce the condemnation legislation on behalf of the Trump Organisation who it is claimed continued to pressurise the authority when it tried to revoke the order in the face of public criticism.

Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino sought the additional properties to provide an extended parking lot for limousines. However, it was stated in the ruling within court that there was no guarantee that the land would be used in the manner asked for by the Trump Organisation and could be used to build an extension to the casinos floor space. The attempted seizure of the properties was repealed.

Further Reading: Wikipedia
Full Story: New York Times