Maui $1.35M lot fight: $7M judgment vacated after 32 years
A Hawaii appeals court has vacated a $7 million judgment in a long-standing eminent domain dispute over a waterfront property in Maui. The case, which began in 1994, has been sent back to the lower court due to procedural errors regarding expert testimony and valuation.
Why it matters
This case highlights the complexities of property rights and eminent domain litigation, particularly when land ownership history is convoluted and spans decades.
In August 1994, Don Howard Williams Jr. paid $1.35 million for roughly 1.137 acres of waterfront property beside Maui’s Maalaea Small Boat Harbor. Four weeks later, he entered into a 30-year lease with the State of Hawaii.More than three decades later, that property remains at the center of a prolonged legal battle over how much the state should pay after seeking to take the land through eminent domain.On September 30, 2026, the Intermediate Court of Appeals of the State of Hawaii vacated a 2025 Circuit Court order and final judgment that had granted Williams’ motion for summary judgment and determined that he was entitled to $7 million in just compensation based on the evidence before the lower court, according to court document published on Justia.The appeals court did not rule that Williams was not entitled to compensation.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in