Don’t want to sell your 175-year-old land to the government? Well, too bad, as private property rights are merely a suggestion these days, at least for the authoritarian rulers of Middlesex County, New Jersey.

A family is fighting to keep control over a farm that has been theirs for almost 200 years, as the city plans on using that land for affordable housing. But the story gets even worse than you think.

According to AG Web:

For three decades, Andy Henry has declined $20-30 million offers for his 21-acre, 175-year-old farm. Ironically, local government is using his perseverance to take the entire property via eminent domain and replace pasture with affordable housing.

The reason for this is because “Cranbury must build 265 affordable housing units over the next decade.” And while that sounds like a personal problem for these invisible powers that be, this may very well now be a Henry problem.

If the government creates an invisible problem that needs a solution, it’s unfathomable how they found the nerve to make it the responsibility of law-abiding farm owners.

In 2012, Henry (in tandem with Christopher) fully inherited the property. The siblings invested $200,000 in upkeep on the farm—all while buyout offers ballooned to $20-30 million.

“Our farm in now leased for raising cattle and sheep. The town loves driving by and seeing something besides warehouses. Keeping this legacy intact and passing it to the next generation has been, and is always, our plan.”

On April 24, 2025, Henry’s mailbox clinked with an official letter of notice from the Committee, tagging his farm as an affordable housing site. “It was incredibly stunning,” he says. “The letter said if I didn’t agree on a price—they’d take my land by eminent domain.”

I'm no legal expert, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t what the Founders had in mind when they came up with this little thing called the Fifth Amendment. But that’s neither here nor there. The point is simple: tyrants don’t get to invent fake problems and seize your property under the guise of eminent domain — especially when it’s not actually for public use. And like I said, I’m not an expert, but I have a feeling that’s a lesson the county will learn the hard way. Until then, we wish Henry the best of luck.

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