A Patchogue family forced off their property by eminent domain worked out a deal to take their house with them.
The DeFilippo family says their home of 30 years faced the wrecking ball after Patchogue Village decided to build 80 workforce homes on Railroad Avenue. The other homes on the site were rental properties, but the village threatened to use eminent domain to force out the DeFilippo?s. Lenny DeFilippo says the family did its research and discovered that eminent domain was set up to acquire property for railroads, hospitals and bridges. He says the law was not meant to take private residences to convert for private enterprises.
The family says it was able to work out a deal with the village and developers to move the house a couple of blocks to Taylor Lane. They say their century-old home now has a new address and a new lease on life.