Category Archives: real estate law

“I can’t make your loan; my zoning’s wrong.”

Posted on August 25, 2009 by Harry Styron

The idea of traditional zoning is to segregate land uses. For example, zoning should protect the value of ownership of retail or residential real estate from the effects of a tannery locating next door. In a sense, zoning is a mechanism for separating land uses that could be considered nuisances to neighbors.

But in practice, zoning can have the effect of regulating economic activity that has nothing to do with land use. A zoning dispute over a consumer loan office illustrates how zoning applications provide an opportunity to allow the public and the zoning board to get into such non-land-use issues as the size of a loan, the time allowed for repayment, or whether the collateral for the loan is a car or a post-dated check or something else.

In an August 25, 2009 opinion from the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Titlemax v. City of Bridgeton, the court Read the rest of this entry →

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Greenwood stands up for its streets and its citizens

Posted on August 12, 2009 by Harry Styron

It’s so easy to criticize city government for allowing the favored few to take advantage of public goods. And it’s difficult for a city to justify putting a damper on economic activity, even when the activity seems to consume public resources. But the City of Greenwood, Missouri, on the southeast side of Kansas City, did just that, with a jury of citizens deciding that a busy quarry’s truck traffic was a public nuisance.

In City of Greenwood v. Martin Marietta dated August 11, 2009, the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District of Missouri upheld a jury’s determinations (1) that heavy truck traffic from a quarry outside the city constituted a “public nuisance,” justifying the award to the city of damages, including punitive damages, and (2) that Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., and its partner were negligent in making street repairs. The Court of Appeals also approved the trial judge’s ruling on the legality of the city’s ordinance excluding commercial traffic.

From the map, the quarry is apparent on the southeast side of Greenwood, as is Greenwood’s Main Street, which is also State Highway 150. The Court of Appeals noted that the trucks hauling to and from the quarry preferred to travel north up Second Street, rather than to get to Highway 150 via State Highway 291; the alternate route would have been a little further and probably would have offended the citizens of Lake Winnebago, rather the citizens of Greenwood.

Read the rest of this entry →

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More confusion for Missouri boat dock law

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Harry Styron

Boat docks, like other properties along Missouri’s lakes, are valuable and jealously guarded by those claiming ownership or rights of use.

The law of boat docks is a muddle, perhaps due to the historic lack of clarity as to whether a boat dock is real property (land and the things attached permanently to it) or personal property (anything but real property), which is generally portable.

The Missouri legislature attempted to resolve that issue for the purposes of appraisal and mortgage lending with the enactment of  HB 842, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Wood, whose legislative district encompasses Table Rock Lake.

Signed by Gov. Nixon on July 7, 2009 and effective August 28, 2009, this new law defines “boat dock” as “a structure for loading and unloading boats and connecting real property to water, public or private.” In addition, “a boat dock is real property and has riparian rights,” provided: Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in Missouri, Missouri economy, Missouri law, Ozarks, Ozarks economy, real estate development, real estate law, Taney County, water law (streams, lakes and groundwater) and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Missouri legislature tries to nullify jury verdict to deprive family of compensation for damages to their home caused by gun club

Posted on August 1, 2009 by Harry Styron

Many people support the right of a jury to refuse to enforce a bad law. Most people think that courts shouldn’t make laws, but should leave lawmaking to representatives elected by the voters for that purpose.

For a legislature to jump into the middle of a court case and take a swipe at a jury and a judge is simply outrageous. When a family’s home is at stake, the legislature’s action is despicable.

In Brown v. Cedar Creek Rod & Gun Club, you can read the story of the Missouri legislature’s interference with a jury’s verdict and a judge’s injunction to protect the home of Daniel and Donna Brown and their child. Read on.

Read the rest of this entry →

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Holding a city to its promise

Posted on July 26, 2009 by Harry Styron

Most of us want to respect the government, especially local government. We expect local government to keep its promises.

But the law relating to cities, towns and villages (which are all lumped together in the category “municipal corporations” or “municipalities”) cuts them some slack. A city council, board of aldermen or village board can adopt an ordinance and lawfully repeal it later. Often voters elect new representatives because they promise to vote to change or repeal a previous ordinance.

The adoption of ordinances is how the city’s governing body exercises its legislative powers. A city should have the ability to correct mistakes or adapt to changing conditions for the benefit of the public.

But a city should be held to its agreement, said Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District in its July 21, 2009 opinion in Kindred v. City of Smithville, even though 40 years had passed since the agreement was made and lots of things had changed. Read the rest of this entry →

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A warranty deed doesn’t always convey everything

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Harry Styron

Lawyers are taught in law school that ownership of land carries with it a bundle of rights. A warranty deed conveys “fee simple absolute” title, which is the full bundle of rights. A person who obtains title by a warranty deed gets 100% of the rights associated with the piece of land described in the deed, other than what is excepted by the language of the deed, such as recorded restrictions and easements.

But Missouri courts have recognized a hole in this rule: some rights associated with real estate are personal property, not real property, even though the rights have to do with real estate. The warranty deed does not necessarily convey these rights, even though the warranty deed says that it is conveying all “rights, privileges, interests and appurtenances” that go with the land described.

Unless the special rights are specifically identified in the deed or another document of assignment, a court can require a trial to determine whether the person who signed the deed intended to convey them. Most lawyers don’t know about this quirk, and it can bite their clients real hard. Read the rest of this entry →

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Water + animosity = punitive damages

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Harry Styron

Bad fences make bad neighbors, especially if the neighbors start retaliating. Then it escalates.  They lawyer-up and make things even worse.

Greg and Lisa lived next to Tim on large tracts in a suburbanizing area southeast of Kansas City. They talked about building a fence on their common boundary, where a ditch looped from Greg’s and Lisa’s property onto Tim’s for 50 feet, then came back to Greg’s and Lisa’s property.

Tim put up “no trespassing” signs after seeing Greg and his son walking along the property line. “Somebody” shot the sign with a shotgun Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in Missouri, Missouri law, nuisance, Ozarks, Ozarks economy, real estate law, water law (streams, lakes and groundwater) and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Missouri PSC asserts jurisdiction over one tiny utility company, but many others escape

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Harry Styron

Water and sewer services to residences and businesses are essential. Most of us take for granted that the operations of those who provide these services are reliable and are regulated. In reality, many water and sewer providers fall through several holes in Missouri’s statutory framework of regulation by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC).

DNR’s regulations

DNR sets engineering standards for water wells, treatment and storage facilities, and distribution systems (mains and valves). DNR licenses well drillers and maintains a registry describing each water well, based on data required to be submitted by well drillers. DNR does not regulate rates charged by water sellers, but does require that permanent entity (called a “continuing authority”) be established for each water system serving more than 15 users. A continuing authority for water is required to show DNR that it has the technical, managerial and financial capacity to operate the system, or at least that’s what the rules say. DNR implements its regulations by requiring submittal of engineering plans for the issuance of construction permits and certfications from private engineers that water and sewer facilities are completed according to the approved plans before issuance of operating and discharge permits. DNR also licenses operators of water and sewer facilities. Read the rest of this entry →

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Private dam not grandfathered from safety regs

Posted on May 5, 2009 by Harry Styron

Because the possibility that a dam could break is a continuing risk, an old dam isn’t exempt from newer rules for dam safety. So said the Missouri Supreme Court in an opinion released on May 5, 2009, reversing the ruling of a Springfield trial judge.

The trial judge threw out a suit filed by the Missouri Attorney General against the Olives, who had purchased a farm with an old dam on it. The suit alleged that the Olives violated the Missouri dam and reservoir safety law by failing to register the dam with the Missouri Dam and Reservoir Safety Council, a state agency. The dam was built in 1974, five years before the dam and reservoir safety regulations went into effect.

Registration of a dam triggers the implementation of a safety program and requires the submittal of an as-built survey of the dam. In other words, registration is the beginning of a process that allows the Dam and Reservoir Safety Council to keep track of the dam, make requirements for maintenance and repairs, and review any proposals for modification of the dam.

The trial judge’s decision was based on two points Read the rest of this entry →

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When the iris blooms, it’s time to challenge your property tax value

Posted on May 3, 2009 by Harry Styron

iris-and-tax-notice-002

You may think of property taxes only when you get your property tax bill in November, with your taxes due by year end. But in November and December, you’re generally too late to do anything but pay the taxes.

Spring is the time of year that you can actually do something about the amount of your taxes, so that the November tax statement will not be such a shock. You can appeal to the board of equalization. Here’s how Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in county government, Missouri, Missouri law, Ozarks economy, property tax, real estate law, Taney County and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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