September 11th, 2026 — By — In Articles
Darius Dynkowski, OCA’s Michigan Member, Secures $1,175,000 Jury Verdict Against City of Wyoming
Darius Dynkowski, OCA’s Member from Michigan and a shareholder at Butzel Long in Detroit, recently secured a jury verdict of $1,175,000 against the City of Wyoming, Michigan. The verdict, returned in February 2026, resolved a condemnation dispute over easement rights acquired for a non-motorized pedestrian bridge and trail along the client’s property.
The City of Wyoming, a suburb of Grand Rapids, had originally offered $135,000 for those rights, a figure the client rejected as constitutionally inadequate.
City Center Redevelopment Project Leads to an Easement Taking
The taking arose from the City of Wyoming’s City Center redevelopment project, one of the most significant public infrastructure investments the municipality has undertaken in recent years. The project, 100% grant-funded through a combination of state, county, and federal funds totaling $36 million, includes construction of a 12-foot-wide ADA-accessible pedestrian bridge over 28th Street, 4.6 miles of new non-motorized trails, and a public plaza intended to anchor a revitalized downtown district for the city.
Once complete, the trail network will connect to Pinery Park, Grace Christian University, and the Kent Trails system, linking multiple West Michigan communities.
To build the trail and bridge, the City used its power of eminent domain – the government’s legal authority to take private property for public use. Rather than purchasing the client’s land outright, the City sought an easement, which gave it the right to use a portion of the property for the project while the client retained ownership.
Under Michigan law, that still counts as a taking. And when a taking leaves a property owner with land that has lost value as a result, the owner is entitled to compensation for both the rights taken and the damage done to what remains.
The Dispute Over Just Compensation
The City’s initial offer of $135,000 reflected the government’s position on the value of the easement. Dynkowski and his client maintained that this figure fell well short of the just compensation owed under the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment and the Michigan Constitution.
The parties did not reach a negotiated resolution, and the matter proceeded to trial before a jury, a right afforded to property owners under Michigan’s Uniform Condemnation Procedures Act.
Jury Awards $1.175 Million to the Property Owner
The jury returned a verdict of $1,175,000. The award was nearly nine times the City’s original offer and more than $1 million above the government’s position.
“Securing appropriate just compensation for landowners in eminent domain matters is the cornerstone of protecting private property rights from governmental abuse,” Dynkowski said following the verdict.
About Darius Dynkowski
Dynkowski has focused his practice on condemnation and eminent domain since 1996, representing property owners ranging from individual homeowners to national corporations against government agencies and utility companies in Michigan and across the country.
Dynkowski has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of the best eminent domain attorneys in the country and is listed among The Best Lawyers in America for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law from 2023 through 2026. He previously served as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property Land Use and Environmental Group Condemnation Committee, and has taught eminent domain law as an adjunct professor at Michigan State University College of Law.
