Atlantic City widow rejected $1 million for her home and won in court

A New Jersey widow, Vera Coking, famously rejected a $1 million offer from Donald Trump for her Atlantic City home and won a legal battle against eminent domain. For over 30 years, Coking lived in her three-story boarding house on Atlantic Avenue, refusing offers from Trump and other developers. In 1993, Trump sought to purchase neighboring properties for a casino limousine parking lot, and used the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to condemn Coking's property using eminent domain.

The CRDA offered her a fraction of the property's value, insisting the "public use" was a parking lot for a private casino. Coking refused and sought legal help from the Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm. In 1998, a New Jersey Superior Court judge ruled against the condemnation, stating it served private interests rather than a legitimate public purpose.

After years of legal battle, Coking remained in her home. She later moved to California to be closer to family in 2011, selling her property for $530,000. Her story highlights the importance of property rights and individual freedom in a free society.