Court says residents of Ipswich, Mass., can't block sale of land

From The Boston Globe: A Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled that Ipswich residents can't stop the sale of land that has raised millions for schools. In 1660, William Payne's gift of 35 seaside acres created the nation's oldest charitable trust. Rent from cottages on the land has meant millions of dollars for the town's public schools. Last year trustees agreed to sell the units to tenants to settle a 2006 rent increase lawsuit. A probate judge gave the go-ahead, and school officials approved, but some residents pursued a legal challenge because they believed the sale shortchanges schools.