US seized California island ranch after $4m offer; jury awarded family $12.7m
A federal jury awarded a California family $12.7 million for their Santa Cruz Island ranch. The government had seized the 6,300-acre property using eminent domain in 1996. This verdict concluded a decades-long property dispute between park officials and the Gherini family. The family's ancestors had owned part of the island since the late 19th century. The award allowed the National Park Service…
In a landmark case that lasted over two decades, a federal jury in Los Angeles ruled in favor of the Gherini family, ordering the US government to pay $12.7 million for a 6,300-acre ranch on Santa Cruz Island. The property dispute began when the government seized the eastern portion of the island in 1996 using eminent domain after Gherini refused to sell his interest.
The original government offer for Gherini's share was just $4 million, but appraisers for the family valued it closer to $14.2 million. Over the years, the Gherinis, who had owned part of the island for over a century, fought to preserve their ancestral property, which had been transformed into a major ranch by their great-grandfather in the 1880s.
The verdict, reached in February 1999, brought closure to a decades-long legal battle and marked a significant transition for Santa Cruz Island, which is now part of Channel Islands National Park.
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