HB1258--NUISANCEACTIONS
SPONSOR: Owen
Thisbillcreatesnewprovisionsrelatingtonuisanceactionsin
anycountywithmorethanonemillioninhabitants,andanycityor
villagelocatedwithintheboundariesofacountywithmorethan
onemillioninhabitants. Uponenactment,theseprovisionswill
applytoSt.LouisCountyandanymunicipalitywithinSt.Louis
County.
Anypropertyownerwhoownspropertywithin1,200feetofaparcel
ofpropertyallegedtobeanuisance,asdefinedinthebill,is
authorizedtobringanuisanceactionagainsttheownerofthe
offendingpropertyfortheamountofdamagecreatedbythenuisance
tothevalueofthepetitioner'sproperty.
Actionsforinjunctiverelieftoabateanuisancemaybebroughtby
aneighborhoodorganization,asdefinedinthebill,ortheowner
ofpropertywithin1,200feetoftheallegednuisance.
Anactioncannotbebroughtuntil60daysafternoticeofintentto
bringanactionismailedtothetenant,ifany,andtheproperty
ownerofrecordattheirlastknownaddressonfile.Thenotice
willstatethenuisanceandthatlegalactionmaybetakenifitis
noteliminatedwithin60days.Ifthenoticeisrefused,
undeliverable, orsignedbyapersonotherthantheaddressee,a
copymustbepostedontheproperty. Thecontentofthenoticeis
providedinthebill.
Anactionforinjunctiverelieftoabateanuisancewillbeheard
bythecourtwithoutajuryandwillnotrequireproofthatthe
partybringingtheactionhassustaineddamageasaresultofthe
nuisance.
Whenapropertyownerorneighborhoodorganizationbringingthe
actionprevails,theymaybeentitledtoanawardforattorneys'
feesandexpenses,asorderedbythecourt,whichwillbeentered
asajudgmentagainsttheownerofthenuisanceproperty.
Ifapropertyownersuedunderthisprocessprovesthatacondition
allegedbytheplaintifftobeanuisanceisthesubjectofan
orderissuedbytheMissouriDepartmentofNaturalResources,the
UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,ortheMissouri
AttorneyGeneral,andprovesthatthepropertyisincompliance
withthatorder,theproofwillbeanaffirmativedefensetothe
plaintiff'sclaim. Currently,statuteprescribescertainproceduresfornuisance
actionsinSt.LouisCityandKansasCity.Thisbilladdsanyhome
rulecitywithapopulationbetween160,000and200,000inhabitants
andanyhomerulecitywithapopulationbetween71,000and79,000
inhabitantstothelistofcitiestheseprovisionsapplyto.Upon
enactment,thiswilladdSpringfieldandSt.Josephtothese
provisions.
Thebillallowscertainactionsforinjunctiverelieftoabatea
nuisancetobeheardbyacourtwithoutajury.
Currently,propertyownersorneighborhoodorganizationsthat
prevailinactionsbroughtagainstownersofcommercialor
industrialpropertiescanbeawardedreasonableattorneys'feesand
expenses,asorderedbyacourt.Thisbillallowsattorneys'fees
tobeawardedinactionsbroughtagainstownersofresidential
properties.
Ifapropertyownersuedunderthisprocessprovesthatacondition
allegedbytheplaintifftobeanuisanceisthesubjectofan
orderissuedbytheMissouriDepartmentofNaturalResources,the
UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,ortheMissouri
AttorneyGeneral,andprovesthatthepropertyisincompliance
withthatorder,theproofwillbeanaffirmativedefensetothe
plaintiff'sclaim.