• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

When Steve and Amy Hallquist heard about Beachy’s efforts, they were relieved. Like the mayor, they fully supported the Institute for Justice and the homeowners in their eminent-domain fight, but they also didn’t want to cripple the city’s ability to redevelop the rest of the land.

The Hallquists had another reason for being eager to end their environmental lawsuits: in their hearts, they had come to believe the suits were bogus. At the time the first conservancy suit was filed, the group had been desperate to do anything to slow down the NLDC and the city from rolling over the powerless homeowners in Fort Trumbull. Morally, they had felt it was the right thing to do at the time. But now the homeowners had excellent legal representation and had gotten their day in court. Continuing to push the environmental claims now bordered on pure obstruction, the Hallquists believed. Ethically, they weren’t comfortable doing that.

The Hallquists and the Steffians huddled with attorney Sawyer to discuss the next steps. They agreed to meet with the city, the NLDC, and the developer, but not before convening a meeting with all conservancy members to solicit opinions and arrive at a consensus for demands and concessions they would make in the negotiations.

A few nights later, dozens of conservancy members met at the Hallquists’ home and voted overwhelmingly to authorize the Steffians and the Hallquists to enter into discussions with the city, the NLDC, the state, and the developer. The group also directed Steve Hallquist to write a letter outlining their two demands: all homeowners in the eminent-domain case should be allowed to stay in their homes, and public access to the waterfront area of the development had to be guaranteed.

Hallquist wrote the letter and had it published in the Day.

When Beachy saw Hallquist’s letter on behalf of the conservancy, he sensed a resolution was around the corner. At Beachy’s urging, all the parties agreed to meet face-to-face to conduct settlement talks.

Steve and Amy Hallquist arrived at Sawyer’s law office for a scheduled strategy session with John and Sarah Steffian before going into the talks. But a series of conversations between the two couples caused Steve and Amy to think they and the Steffians weren’t on the same page. They felt the Steffians were adding demands to their list of what it would take to drop the conservancy’s lawsuits.

“Are we acting in good faith?” Amy asked. “Are we reasonable people who are trying to resolve this issue, or are we obstructing?”

The Steffians had a different view. To them, it was the city and the NLDC that were being disingenuous. From day one the NLDC had said one thing and done another. It simply couldn’t be trusted, the Steffians felt.

Amy didn’t necessarily disagree. But Beachy was one person who could be trusted, she felt. And any notion of holding out until the city agreed to scrap its municipal-development plan and start over was unrealistic.

But the Steffians were taking a more global perspective. The laws that had permitted the NLDC to get this far simply needed to be changed. The NLDC and the city had played fast and loose with the eminent-domain power. Using the courts to seek justice and stimulate reform was perfectly appropriate.

During a break in the session in Sawyer’s office, Steve was talking with John when one of Sawyer’s office assistants came in the room to discuss something privately with Sarah. Steve noticed that Sarah had her checkbook with her and figured Sawyer was due for a payment. Steve and Amy had always wondered how much Sawyer was charging the conservancy in legal fees. But during the two-year period since they had retained him, the Hallquists had never been privy to the billing information. Despite being treasurer, Steve didn’t see the books, much less process invoices and issue checks. When it came to legal fees, that was between Sawyer and the Steffians. From a couple of feet away, Steve could see Sarah’s checkbook