City of Algonac v. Robbins

Defendant property owners carried on businesses in the City of Algonac. In 1973, the city took defendants’ real property by eminent domain. Defendants removed and stored equipment and fixtures used in their businesses.

During the condemnation proceedings, the trial court precluded any evidence of decrease in value of such equipment and fixtures from being presented to the jury. The city argued that the jury should consider only the cost of removing and reattaching removable trade fixtures and equipment, not any decrease in value of the items. Defendants argue that evidence should have been…