Landowners are often approached by utility companies and other parties requesting to traverse their land in some manner. Terms like “right of way,” “easement” and “eminent domain” quickly enter the conversation. It is important to have at least a basic understanding of various terms related to property use to ensure the landowner understands the agreement …
In the last few months, the Occupa- tional Safety and Health Administra- tion made a controversial decision to inspect and fine small farms engaged in grain storage activities. The farmers sub- ject to the inspections and fines argued that OSHA had no authority to do so be- cause of the “small farm exemption” that limits …
The ownership of an improvement built on someone else’s land is a common legal issue in the agricultural community. For example, a young man wants to build a new grain bin but does not yet own land. So he builds the bin on his parents’ land since he is already farming with them. Read the …
The laws related to fences in Ohio have seen signifi cant changes over the years. Originally, when Ohio was a mostly agrarian society, the fence law required landowners to fence out livestock from their property. Later, as Ohio became more urban, the law changed to require livestock owners to fence in their livestock. Download and …
One of the most common questions we receive from our estate planning clients, the vast majority of whom are farmers, is whether they need a trust for their estate plan. The answer, like most answers in the legal profession, is “it depends.” The following are circumstances when a trust is likely needed and when a …
