Opinion ID: 1913725
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: whether dues run with the land

Text: Finally, the plaintiffs argue that the trial court erred in failing to find that the dues and assessments of the Association are personal in nature and do not run with the land. We find that Willa How is collaterally estopped from raising this issue by virtue of this court's prior decision in How v. Baker, 223 Neb. 100, 388 N.W.2d 462 (1986). There are four conditions that must exist for the doctrine of collateral estoppel to apply: (1) The identical issue was decided in a prior action, (2) there was a judgment on the merits which was final, (3) the party against whom the rule is applied was a party or in privity with a party to the prior action, and (4) there was an opportunity to fully and fairly litigate the issue in the prior action. Rosse v. Rosse, 244 Neb. 967, 510 N.W.2d 73 (1994). In How v. Baker , a case in which Carl and Willa How sued the Association, we held that the Association had authority to amend covenants to assess lot dues and special assessments and that such covenants run with the land. Willa How, being a party to the prior action in How v. Baker in which the issue of dues and assessments running with the land was fully litigated and a final judgment was rendered on the merits of the case, is thus estopped from now asserting that the dues and assessments of the Association do not run with the land. As to plaintiff Brott, we have reexamined our analysis of the issue in How v. Baker and adhere to our previous holding that the assessments and dues of the Association run with the land. Accordingly, the plaintiffs are not entitled to an order directing the defendants to stop informing prospective purchasers of Beaver Lake lots that unpaid membership dues run with the land and constitute a lien on said land. This assignment of error is without merit.