The Wisconsin Supreme Court has accepted two new cases. The Supreme Court will review recent Court of Appeals decisions related to eminent domain and recreational immunity in the following cases:
DSG Evergreen Family Limited Partnership v. Town of Perry (Eminent Domain)
In this case, The Town of Perry took property from DSG in an eminent domain action. The land taken included a road, and the condemnation petition required the town to replace the road at a different location. DSG argued that the new road did not meet the “same construction standards” as the former road, violating the petition.
The appeals court held that DSG had no private right of action requiring the town to comply with certain construction standards under Wis. Stat. § 82.50(1) in completing the new road. The appeals court further held that claim preclusion applied because DSG failed to bring up its road construction standards argument in previous proceedings regarding just compensation for the eminent domain condemnation of its property.
The Supreme Court will examine whether claim preclusion bars property owners from actions to compel condemners to uphold promised standards of improvement, since they have already litigated just compensation. The court will also determine whether private citizens can bring actions against a town for failure to comply with Wis. Stat. § 82.50(1) design standards.
Lang v. Lions Club of Cudahy Wisconsin, Inc. (Recreational Immunity)
In this case, the Court of Appeals District I held that recreational immunity did not apply to a sound engineer who set up cords that injured a woman at a music performance. The court said the sound engineer was not an “agent” or “occupier” immune under the statute (Wis. Stat. § 895.52).
The Supreme Court will revisit the issue of whether recreational immunity applies to the sound engineer.