Ruling in a dispute that began nearly 30 years ago, a Maryland jury on Tuesday awarded more than $42 million to the would-be operators of a construction landfill who were blocked from using property bought for the project by Harford County officials.

The verdict is a win for DLA Piper, which relied on an unconstitutional “taking” claim under the state Constitution. The jury award included more than $30 million for the value of the 62-acre property and $15 million in prejudgment interest, said DLA Piper partner Brett Ingerman.