NJ Court Overturns Award For View Lost To Dune

HARVEY CEDARS, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's top court says an elderly couple didn't deserve a $375,000 award because a new protective sand dune blocked their view of the ocean.

The court says a new trial is needed at which the protective benefits of the dune can be weighed against the value of the lost ocean views. The original trial considered only whether the lost views were worth money, and not whether the added protection was worth anything.

The home at the center of the case is in Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island and belongs to Harvey and Phyllis Karan. It survived Superstorm Sandy last October.

The case is being closely watched, in part, because New Jersey wants to build a dune system along its entire coastline.