New airport runway + Eminent Domain = Lawsuit

Chicago O’Hare needed a new runway. To get land for the airport, the city used the treat of eminent domain.

The city assuaged the threat of eminent domain by “assuring residents that the construction “would not have a material impact upon their lives, property or neighborhoods.”

Residents filed suit alleging  that

1. the city’s assurance that the volume of air traffic would not be signficiant was untrue
2. The city trimmed neighborhood trees because the fight paths for the new runway were so low
3. A local elementary school closed due to the new runway noise
4. A falling airplane engine damaged property
5. Property values took a nose dive

Courthouse News Service | Residents Crazed by Ohare Runway Noise