Homeowners who had previously refused to sell their property for the new Foxconn campus have now come to terms to sell their land.
The deals pay 140% of fair market value. Richard Richards, one of the property owners, likes the deal but he says he’ll still be sad to leave his home of 24 years.
"For us, it was a good offer, it got us out from under a lot, a lot of stress,” Richards said.
He says it’s been many sleepless nights and is pleased with the agreement.
“You have to be excited, it’s a big change in our lives,” he said.
After fighting to keep his property for months, Richards and his wife agreed to sell their property for $804,000, which was $300,000 more than the initial offer.
“I’ll miss it a lot, more than missing it, the wife and I are really, really sad, or heartbroken that’s it’s going to be torn down,” Richards said.
It’s something they never wanted. His home near County Line KR will be replaced with a four-lane highway near Foxconn’s $10 billion electronic manufacturing complex.
"There’s 150 plus years of history here,” he said.
Richards was a part of a federal lawsuit against Mount Pleasant. Three others have settled and they’ve received lots of cash, too.
“It’s been an eye opener for us because it’s hard to deal with the local government that’s really bent on getting a job done that they think needs to be done,” Richards said.
The family is currently planning to auction off their things. Once they officially sign the deal, they’ll have 90 days to relocate.
To date, the village has acquired 100% of the land in the core area where the Foxconn campus is being built. The federal lawsuit against the Village is still open with three other plaintiffs.
