Annette Billings has had farmland in Milford, Delaware, for five generations and plans to continue it to pass down for generations to come. However, Milford city officials are working to use eminent domain to take Billings’ land for a bike trail that will connect to a park the city plans to build. Now a billboard is bringing attention to the battle. NBC10’s Tim Furlong reports.
A dispute over real estate has turned public in Milford, Delaware, after a billboard has been put up to call the town's City Council out for an attempt to take a woman's family farm through eminent domain.
The move follows council's efforts use eminent domain to take land from Annette Billings, who told NBC10's Tim Furlong that she has had the property in her family for at least five generations.
"Nothing is for sale. I don’t have any land I want to sell to you," she said in a recent interview. "I want to leave it to my children just as it was left to me."
According to NBC10's sister station, WRDE, Milford city council has proposed to use eminent domain to purchase eight acres of Billing's land -- located off of South Rehoboth Boulevard -- for $20,000 in the hopes of creating a bike path and park.
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But, she said that the property isn't for sale and now, a billboard has appeared on Route 113 in Milford accusing the town's mayor and city councilmembers of attempting to steal the property.
Billings argues that the property isn't even in Milford's city limits and the price they offered is too low, even if she did want to sell -- which she doesn't.
A hearing is scheduled for March where, Billings said, she hopes a court will rule in her favor.
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The real estate developer who put up the billboard did not respond to a request for comment from NBC10.
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