Fourteen months after filing condemnation suits, attorneys John Spesia, Jeff Taylor, and Jacob Gancarczyk from Spesia & Taylor successfully end a scheduled two-week jury trial in just three days with the trial court granting directed verdicts in all cases. Defendants disclosed seven experts to testify, at trial, that just compensation totaled more than $23.9 million, arguing that the highest and best use of the property was residential. ... Read More

Thirty-two landowners across six Illinois counties (Will, Livingston, Kankakee, McLean, DeWitt, and Marion counties) sought damages in access of $31.3 million. Due to vigorous representation by the attorneys from Spesia & Taylor, led by partner John Spesia, the condemning pipeline ultimately paid out only $457,300.00 total for just compensation. Thirty-one of the thirty-two cases resulted in directed verdicts in favor of the condemnor, and in ... Read More

After one year of contested proceedings, a Kankakee trial court ends condemnation cases in favor of a public utility company represented by Spesia & Taylor. Attorneys John Spesia, Jeff Taylor, and Jacob Gancarczyk had successfully settled the claims of six out of eight landowners prior to trial, and at trial they resolved the remaining two claims by directed verdict. Defendants in these last two cases had sought over $300,000 in damages, but ... Read More

Nine months after an energy company—represented by Spesia & Taylor—filed eight condemnation lawsuits, it had the property rights it needed to construct its project.  Attorney Chris Spesia worked with landowners and their counsel to resolve six cases by settlement. Two of the landowners proceeded to trial, demanding over $95,000 and claiming that a pipeline caused damage to the remainder of their property.  After a four day jury trial, ... Read More