The Switzer Living Trust, U/A Dated February 5, 2019, by and through Alan T. Switzer & Gayle L. Switzer, As Co-Trustees v. Lake Lotawana Association, INC.

CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 9, 2024
DocketWD86307
StatusPublished

This text of The Switzer Living Trust, U/A Dated February 5, 2019, by and through Alan T. Switzer & Gayle L. Switzer, As Co-Trustees v. Lake Lotawana Association, INC. (The Switzer Living Trust, U/A Dated February 5, 2019, by and through Alan T. Switzer & Gayle L. Switzer, As Co-Trustees v. Lake Lotawana Association, INC.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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The Switzer Living Trust, U/A Dated February 5, 2019, by and through Alan T. Switzer & Gayle L. Switzer, As Co-Trustees v. Lake Lotawana Association, INC., (Mo. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

MISSOURI COURT OF APPEALS WESTERN DISTRICT

THE SWITZER LIVING TRUST, U/A ) DATED FEBRUARY 5, 2019, BY AND ) THROUGH ALAN T. SWITZER & ) WD86307 GAYLE L. SWITZER, AS CO-TRUSTEES, ) ) OPINION FILED: Appellants, ) v. ) April 9, 2024 ) LAKE LOTAWANA ASSOCIATION, ) INC., ET AL., ) ) Respondents. ) )

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri Honorable Marco A. Roldan, Judge

Before Division Two: Anthony Rex Gabbert, Presiding Judge, Karen King Mitchell, Judge, and Janet Sutton, Judge

Switzer Living Trust U/A dated February 5, 2019, by and through Alan T. Switzer and

Gayle L. Switzer, as Co-Trustees (Switzer Trust), appeal a judgment from the Jackson County

Circuit Court (trial court) granting summary judgment in favor of the City of Lake Lotawana and

the City of Lake Lotawana Planning and Zoning Commission (collectively referred to as the

City), and the Lake Lotawana Association, Inc., (the Association) on Switzer Trust’s claims for damages. 1 Switzer Trust filed suit alleging procedural and substantive due process violations for

the City’s handling of a plot amendment application and the subsequent approval of the

application, and against the Association for breach of a duty Switzer Trust claims it owed them

by not enforcing certain deed restrictions against Bowen Trust. We affirm.

Factual and Procedural Background 2

This matter arises out of the construction of a new home on real property owned by the

Bowen Trust located in Lake Lotawana, Missouri. The Bowen Trust owns the real property with

the recorded legal description of Lake Lotawana, Block X, Lots 19A and 19B. Switzer Trust

owns the real property located at Lake Lotawana, Missouri, adjacent to the Bowen Trust’s lot.

On September 12, 2018, the Bowen Trust filed a plat amendment application proposing to replat

Lot 19 by combining Tracts 1 and 2 of that lot into a consolidated plat so as to create Lot 19A of

Block X of Lake Lotawana. Lake Lotawana City Code section 405.250 provides for the

amendment of plats including the process for combining two lots into a single consolidated lot,

while City Code section 415.080 provides for the merging of lots.

On October 10, 2018, the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission held a meeting to

consider Bowen Trust’s application for plat amendment. Notices of meetings of the City’s

Planning and Zoning Commission under Lake Lotawana City Code section 400.120.D.4 are to be

posted at least three days before any meeting, and no individualized notices are required. The

1 On April 21, 2023, the trial court issued an order and judgment granting the Association’s motion for summary judgment, and on April 26, 2023, it issued a separate order and judgment granting the City’s motion for summary judgment.

2 “When reviewing the entry of summary judgment, we view the record in the light most favorable to the party against whom the judgment was entered and accord the non-movant all reasonable inferences from the record.” Show-Me Inst. v. Off. of Admin., 645 S.W.3d 602, 604 n.2 (Mo. App. W.D. 2022) (citing Green v. Fotoohighiam, 606 S.W.3d 113, 116 (Mo. banc 2020)).

2 top sheet of a “board packet” that was provided to the Planning and Zoning Commission before

the October 10, 2018, meeting bore a stamp that indicated, “Posted On Bulletin Board at City

Hall” with a notation that this was completed on October 5, 2018, at 4:20 p.m. The City’s

Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of Bowen Trust’s application for plat

amendment.

On January 22, 2019, the City’s Board of Alderman held a meeting to consider the

Zoning Commission’s recommendation to approve Bowen Trust’s application and final amended

plat of Lot 19A. 3 Notices of meetings of the City’s Board of Alderman are required to be posted

in City Hall at least twenty-four hours before the scheduled meeting under City Code section

120.140.B., and no individual notices are required under City Code section 400.120.D4. The

City’s Board of Alderman adopted the Zoning Commission’s recommendation to approve

Bowen Trust’s application and final amended plat of Lot 19A.

On April 30, 2021, Switzer Trust filed a petition for damages against the City and the

Association. Switzer Trust brought the following claims against the City: (1) procedural and

substantive due process violations for failing to provide Switzer Trust notice of the Planning and

Zoning Commission’s meeting on October 10, 2018; (2) procedural and substantive due process

violations for failing to provide Switzer Trust notice of the January 22, 2019, meeting, where the

Bowen Trust’s lot combination was approved; (3) and violations of section 89.410, section

71.010, 42 USC section 1983, and the U.S. Constitution. Switzer Trust alleged, inter alia, that it

3 It is unclear from the record before us the exact date of the Board of Alderman’s meeting. Switzer Trust’s original petition alleged the meeting took place on January 22, 2019, and the City admitted this in its answer. Some of the summary judgment filings, however, state that the meeting took place on January 27, 2019, or on January 29, 2019. The briefing on appeal perpetuates this date discrepancy. We have been unable to locate a document in the legal file that could definitively answer when the Board of Alderman’s meeting took place, but we will refer to this meeting as the “January 22, 2019, meeting” for the remainder of this opinion. 3 was damaged because its lakefront view was impacted and it suffered a loss in value and in use

of its property. The petition also included one count against the Association, alleging the

Association breached its duty to Switzer Trust by failing to enforce its deed restrictions,

specifically a twenty-five-foot setback requirement, against Bowen Trust.

In July 2021, the Association filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim or, in

the alternative, motion for more definite statement, and the trial court entered an order sustaining

the Association’s motion for more definite statement, requiring Switzer Trust to amend its

petition. On August 17, 2021, Switzer Trust filed its first amended petition for damages against

the Association stating two causes of action (1) breach of a contractual duty to a third-party

beneficiary and (2) negligence. 4

On December 4, 2022, the Association filed a motion for summary judgment with

accompanying suggestions in support. The Association contended that, after an adequate period

of discovery, the uncontroverted material facts demonstrated that there was no evidence

establishing that the Association owed any duty to Switzer Trust and/or breached any duty it may

have owed to Switzer Trust, either under a theory of general negligence, or under an alleged

contract between Switzer Trust and the Association. Therefore, the Association argued it was

entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Switzer Trust’s first amended petition for damages.

Pursuant to Rule 74.04, the Association included a statement of uncontroverted material facts

with its motion.

Switzer Trust filed a response to the Association’s motion for summary judgment,

responded to the Association’s statement of uncontroverted material facts, and alleged additional

4 Switzer Trust’s amended petition stated that it was only directed to those causes of action against the Association and that all other allegations set forth in Switzer Trust’s original petition against the City were not amended, but incorporated by reference. 4 purportedly material facts.

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The Switzer Living Trust, U/A Dated February 5, 2019, by and through Alan T. Switzer & Gayle L. Switzer, As Co-Trustees v. Lake Lotawana Association, INC., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-switzer-living-trust-ua-dated-february-5-2019-by-and-through-alan-moctapp-2024.