The specificity requirements of Indiana zoning decisions were discussed in The Kroger Co. v. Plan Commission of Plainfield, 953 N.E.2d 536 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011). In that case, Kroger wanted to construct a gas station next to its retail store. Kroger submitted a zoning petition seeking approval to begin construction, but the Plan Commission denied Kroger’s petition. Kroger sought judicial…
On November 12, 2010, the Indiana Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a case affecting Indiana municipal law and Indiana utility law, Town of Avon v. W. Cent. Conservancy Dis., addressing whether an ordinance authorizing a town to regulate the sale or lease of natural resources was valid. The Court also addressed whether an aquifer was a “watercourse,” subject…
Harness v. Schmitt, 924 N.E.2d 162 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010) – Governmental Immunity In a recent Indiana Municipal law case, the presence of a police officer during the service of a wrongful eviction notice did not affect the police officer’s governmental employee immunity because the officer was present for the purpose of preventing a possible breach of the peace. Mark…
On July 14, 2009, the Indiana Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a case affecting Indiana municipal law, Board of Commissioners of Hendricks County v. Town of Plainfield, addressing whether a town had proper standing to ask for declaratory judgment to validate their own ordinance. The Court also addressed whether a town may exercise storm water jurisdiction and whether…
This past May, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled on a municipal annexation case coming out of Madison County. The Indiana municipal law case dealt with whether a county board of commissioners had standing to file a complaint challenging acts of annexation by a town of land in a formerly unincorporated area of the county. In Indiana, the statutory framework…