FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.716
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEFALKNER.
1838H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection82.1025,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingto
nuisanceactionsfordeterioratedproperty.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section82.1025,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection82.1025,toreadasfollows:
82.1025.1.Sections82.1025,82.1027and82.1030applytoanuisancelocated
2withintheboundariesof:
3 (1)Anycitynotwithinacounty[orin];
4 (2)Anyhomerulecitywithatleastthreehundredfiftythousandinhabitants[which]
5thatislocatedinmorethanonecounty; or
6 (3)Anyhomerulecitywithmorethanseventy-onethousandbutfewerthan
7seventy-ninethousandinhabitants.
8 2.Anypropertyownerwhoownspropertywithinonethousandtwohundredfeetofa
9parcelofpropertywhichisallegedtobeanuisancemaybringanuisanceactionunderthis
10sectionagainsttheoffendingpropertyownerfortheamountofdamagecreatedbysuch
11nuisancetothevalueofthepetitioner'sproperty,includingdiminutioninvalueofthe
12petitioner'sproperty,andcourtcosts.
13 3.Anactionforinjunctiverelieftoabateanuisancemaybebroughtunderthis
14sectionby:
15 (1)Anyonewhoownspropertywithinonethousandtwohundredfeettoaproperty
16whichisallegedtobeanuisance;or
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 (2)Aneighborhoodorganization,asdefinedinsection82.1027,onbehalfofany
18personorpersonswhoownpropertywithintheboundariesoftheneighborhoodor
19neighborhoodsdescribedinthearticlesofincorporationorbylawsoftheneighborhood
20organizationandwhocouldmaintainanuisanceactionunderthissectionorunderthe
21commonlawofprivatenuisance,oronitsownbehalfwithrespecttoanuisanceonproperty
22anywherewithintheboundariesoftheneighborhoodorneighborhoods.
23 4.Anactionshallnotbebroughtunderthissectionuntilsixtydaysaftertheparty
24whobringstheactionhassentwrittennoticeofintenttobringanactionunderthissectionby
25certifiedmail,returnreceiptrequested,postageprepaidto:
26 (1)Thetenant,ifany,orto"occupant"iftheidentityofthetenantcannotbe
27reasonablyascertained,attheproperty'saddress;and
28 (2)Thepropertyownerofrecordatthelastknownaddressofthepropertyowneron
29filewiththecountyorcity,or,ifthepropertyownerisacorporationorothertypeoflimited
30liabilitycompany,tothepropertyowner'sregisteredagentattheagent'saddressofrecord;
31
32thatanuisanceexistsandthatlegalactionmaybetakenagainsttheownerofthepropertyif
33thenuisanceisnoteliminatedwithinsixtydaysafterthedateonthewrittennotice.Ifthe
34noticesentbycertifiedmailisreturnedunclaimedorrefused,designatedbythepostofficeto
35beundeliverable,orsignedforbyapersonotherthantheaddressee,thenadequateand
36sufficientnoticeshallbeprovidedbypostingacopyofthenoticeonthepropertywherethe
37nuisanceallegedlyisoccurring.Aswornaffidavitbythepersonwhomailedorpostedthe
38noticedescribingthedateandmannerthatnoticewasgivenshallbesufficientevidenceto
39establishthatthenoticewasgiven.Thenoticeshallspecify:
40 (a)Theactorconditionthatconstitutesthenuisance;
41 (b)Thedatethenuisancewasfirstdiscovered;
42 (c)Theaddressofthepropertyandlocationonthepropertywheretheactor
43conditionthatconstitutesthenuisanceisallegedlyoccurringorexists;and
44 (d)Thereliefsoughtintheaction.
45 5.Acopyofanoticeofcitationissuedbythecityorcountythatshowsthedatethe
46citationwasissuedshallbeprimafacieevidenceofwhetherandforhowlongacitationhas
47beenpendingagainstthepropertyorthepropertyowner.
48 6.Aproceedingunderthissectionshall:
49 (1)Beheardattheearliestpracticabledate;and
50 (2)Beexpeditedineveryway.
51 7.Whenapropertyownerorneighborhoodorganizationbringsanactionunderthis
52sectionforinjunctiverelieftoabateanuisance,aprimafaciecaseforinjunctivereliefshallbe
HB716 2 53madeuponproofthatanuisanceexistsontheproperty.Suchanactionshallnotrequireproof
54thatthepartybringingtheactionhassustaineddamageorlossasaresultofthenuisance.
55 8.Withrespecttoanactionunderthissectionagainsttheownerofcommercialor
56industrialproperty,whenapropertyownerorneighborhoodorganizationbringingtheaction
57prevailsinsuchaction,suchpropertyownerororganizationmaybeentitledtoanawardfor
58itsreasonableattorneys'feesandexpenses,asorderedbythecourt,incurredinbringingand
59prosecutingtheaction,whichawardforattorneys'feesandexpensesshallbeenteredasa
60judgmentagainsttheownerofthepropertyonwhichtheactorconditionconstitutingthe
61nuisanceoccurredorwaslocated.
62 9.Propertyownersbringingalawsuitbasedontheprimafaciecasestandardunder
63subsections5and7ofthissection,orseeking[attorney] attorneys'feesandexpensesunder
64subsection8ofthissection,shallbelimitedtolawsuitsinvolvingpropertyownershipinany
65homerulecitywithmorethanthreehundredfiftythousandinhabitantsandlocatedinmore
66thanonecounty[or],anycitynotwithinacounty, oranyhomerulecitywithmorethan
67seventy-onethousandbutfewerthanseventy-ninethousandinhabitantsandshall
68otherwisebelimitedtothegeneralstandardsfornuisanceapplyingtootherpolitical
69subdivisionsundersubsection1ofthissection.
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