In re Town of Brookhaven

An abstruse statute, sadly in need of reform, has combined with archaic judicial doctrine to produce (with artful human assistance) a claim of compensation for 10.24 acres of real estate by a putative owner whose deed derives from a self-created tax delinquency. While the arena is a condemnation trial, it is the validity of claimant’s tax deed which is the issue. The condemning authority, the Town of Brook-haven (“Brookhaven”), asserts that claimant’s deed begets him no title. Nevertheless, the claimant (Jack Weissman) relies *501almost entirely upon the deed, but also resists the town’s…