Oklahoma court says Jenks district owes couple $3.1 million for school expansion
“An Oklahoma appeals court says a jury was correct to award two landowners $3.1 million for 12.7 acres of undeveloped land acquired for a school expansion.
District Judge Mary Fitzgerald had said the Jenks School District was entitled to a new trial, believing that she was wrong to let jurors consider the lease value of billboards on the property when determining what the land was worth. The Tulsa World reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1bffEcK ) that the Court of Appeals reversed her decision.
Jenks’ school board had voted in 2007 to condemn land along U.S. 75 so it could expand the Jenks West Elementary School. It initially offered $395,000, but court-appointed commissioners in 2008 put the value at $1.4 million, which was paid to the landowners, Patrick Taylor and Marshaleta Taylor.”
The Associated Press. The Republic 3 December 2013.