MILFORD, Del.- There is tension brewing between the city and a property owner, after the city council voted to seize eight acres of property using eminent domain.
Annette Billings, who owns the farmland and wetlands at the center of the dispute, is now actively seeking legal representation.
The city aims to acquire this land as part of its comprehensive plan, which includes the development of bike lanes and a park. However, Billings isn't about to part with the property willingly.
She said it was shocking to be formally served legal documents months after council's decision, "I guess because it is their comprehensive plan, they feel they can do what they want."
In a meeting on September 11, council voted to condemn the property and proposed a compensation of $20,000, based on an appraisal conducted by Dover Consulting Services this summer.
Billings disputes this, asserting that her land is worth significantly more, citing a 2009 appraisal valuing the entire parcel at about $50,000 per acre.
With a deadline of February 12th to appeal the decision, Billings is searching for an attorney to challenge the city's plans but is struggling to find one.
"They know I'm not rich; I'm a widow; I'm limited," Billings lamented.
Milford City Solicitor David Rutt assured WBOC over the phone that the process adhered to Delaware law, emphasizing that a judge will have final say in March.
Billings thinks the city might have underestimated her, saying, "I think they thought, 'Oh, she is a little old lady. She is not going to say anything. She is going to roll over. She'll take the $20,000 and be done with it... mm, no."
The city directed all inquiries to Rutt, and the only council member to have voted against the eminent domain decision is Todd Culotta.
Billings said that the city's interest in her property stems from its previous purchase of her brother's neighboring property. However, she points out that the city requires access through her land to reach the property they already own and spent more than $500,000 for.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Milford Police Chief Cecilia Ashe personally delivered eminent domain documents to Billings. Following clarification from Milford Police Public Information Officer Tim Maloney, it has been confirmed that this information is inaccurate.
Sergeant Maloney clarified that the responsibility for executing such procedures does not lie with the Milford Police Department but falls within the jurisdiction of the state or county judicial system.
