MANALAPAN, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — The Town of Manalapan has filed an eminent domain case in Palm Beach County Circuit Court seeking to take a parcel it says is needed for a public project involving Town Hall and related offices. In the filing, Town of Manalapan, Florida v. Salute Realty LLC, Case No. 502026CA004209XXXAMB, was filed April 14, 2026, in the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County.
The town is represented by B. Douglas MacGibbon, P.A., while the defendant is listed with attorney Brett S. Tensfeldt, according to the court filing.
According to the petition, the town is seeking fee simple title to Parcel 101 through eminent domain. The filing says the property is necessary for the public purpose and use of the Town of Manalapan for the expansion or relocation of Town Hall and parts of its offices. A related town resolution attached to the filing also references police and fire department facilities as part of the broader public purpose described by the town.
The petition says venue is proper in Palm Beach County because the property is located there, and states the town is exercising eminent domain authority under Chapters 73 and 74 and Section 166.401(1) of the Florida Statutes. The town further claims it duly adopted Resolution 03-2026 authorizing the proceeding. That resolution, adopted March 10, 2026, states the town had made an offer to purchase Parcel 101, but the property owner did not accept it.
The parcel is described in the filing as land in Government Lot 1, Section 2, Township 45 South, Range 43 East, in the Town of Manalapan. The legal description places it along Lantana Avenue and State Road A1A. The town says it seeks the entire parcel in fee simple.
In the petition, Manalapan says it considered factors required by Florida law in deciding to acquire the property, including safety, costs, alternative locations or methodologies, long-range plans, and the environment as applicable to the parcel. The filing also states the town determined the acquisition is necessary for a public use and in the best interest of the town.
The town alleges it completed the required pre-suit steps before filing, including a good faith attempt to comply with negotiation procedures required by Florida law. It also says it surveyed and located the acquisition area and intends in good faith to construct the project on or over the parcel. The filing reserves the right to offset compensation for certain listed costs, including environmental remediation expenses, special assessments, code enforcement liens, or other governmental liens if allowed by law.
Along with the petition, the town filed a declaration of taking. In that document, the town states it is authorized to take possession and title before final judgment and gives a good faith estimate of value for Parcel 101 at $2,850,000.
All allegations and claims in the filing are the town’s claims in court and have not been proven.
Property records show Salute Realty LLC purchased the parcel for $1.2 million in 2019 and is based in New York.
The original complaint, Town of Manalapan, Florida v. Salute Realty LLC, Case No. 502026CA004209XXXAMB, as filed April 14, 2026, with the Clerk of Court, can be viewed at the PBC Clerk of Court.
Boca Post tracks civil litigation filed in Palm Beach County courts as part of its ongoing legal coverage. Readers can explore recent cases in our Boca Raton lawsuits coverage.
