JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday signed into law legislation that limits nuisance lawsuits against farms and livestock producers.
The measure restricts how much money people could win in nuisance lawsuits against livestock and crop producers. It also seeks to prohibit neighbors from filing repeated nuisance claims arising out of similar conditions against the same farm.
Nixon's signed the measure one day after the state Senate gave the legislation final approval.
The legislation limits compensatory damages against farms to the reduction in the rental value of neighboring property in cases where a "temporary nuisance" exists and to the reduction of the property's fair market value if a "permanent nuisance" exists. It also requires that subsequent nuisance lawsuits involving the same properties and problems be treated as "permanent nuisance" claims in court.