Opinion ID: 1329866
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Farmers, Businesses and Landowners Lose their Established Rights

Text: Based on Dulin, it has been the law in this state for 85 years that a farmer, landowner or business person, like the respondent A & M Properties, who has openly used a railroad crossing for many yearsand who may have even built buildings, paved roads, or made other expensive improvements in reliance on that crossing may have some rights to the continued use of that crossing. Under Dulin, if the railroad takes a notion to tear up and eliminate a crossing, the business, farmer, or landowner has the right to go to court and to try to show that this would be unfair. This right is fair and reasonableit is hardly a big deal. And that is what occurred in the instant case. But thanks to the majority opinion, A & M Propertiesand all other similarly situated businesses, farmers, and landownersare completely and entirely out of court and out of luck. Under the majority opinion, regardless of how long the business, farmer or landowner has used a crossing, or what investments they may have madeand regardless of the past acquiescence of the railroad in the establishment and use of the crossingthe business, farmer or landowner has no rights whatsoever. This result is unfair and, as demonstrated below, it is not required by law. C.