Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules for Land Condemnation in Sidewalk Case

The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided in a split ruling on June 19 that under state law a “pedestrian way” is not considered a sidewalk. The decision answered what had been a convoluted issue for lower courts and now allows for local governments to use eminent domain to take a piece of land from a business. The state’s high court ruled that the Village of Egg Harbor could proceed with its plan to take a small piece of land from Sojenhomer LLC to build a sidewalk aimed at improving safety. Sojenhomer LLC owns a building at the location of a local brewery and restaurant and argued that state law does not allow the Village to take their land because it prohibits taking land to create “pedestrian ways.”...