Up to 15 years after their citrus trees were chopped down by the state Agriculture Department, about 22,000 Palm Beach County homeowners are seeking compensation in a West Palm Beach courtroom.

The citrus canker class action trial is being heard by Senior Broward Circuit Judge Ron Rothschild, who was asked to handle the case due to his experience overseeing the Broward citrus canker case.

Citrus canker, a highly contagious tree disease that affects the ability of trees to bear fruit but does not kill them, was absent from Florida for decades. In 1995, canker was rediscovered in Miami-Dade County and eventually spread on hurricane winds to other counties.