Court Opinion

ID: 9514271
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:48:20.48526+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:15.688502
License: Public Domain

[¶ 54.] AMUNDSON, Justice
(dissenting
on Issue III).
[¶ 55.] I dissent as to Justice Konenkamp’s opinion regarding nuisance. A nuisance exists when a party unlawfully does an act or omits to perform a duty which “annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others [or] in any way renders other persons insecure in life or in the use of property.” SDCL 21-10-1; see also Kryger v. Dokken, 386 N.W.2d 481, 482 (S.D.1986) (stating “a nuisance involves an unlawful act or omission to perform a duty”); Greer v. City of Lennox, 79 S.D. 28, 32, 107 N.W.2d 337, 339 (1961). A nuisance is either public or private. SDCL 21-10-38 Other jurisdictions have permitted nuisance claims for stray voltage. Johnson v. Steele-Waseca Co-op. Elec., 469 N.W.2d 517, 518 (Minn.Ct.App.1991); Kolpin, 469 N.W.2d at 597.
*763[¶ 56.] SDCL 21-10-2 states: “Nothing which is done or maintained under the express authority of a statute can be deemed a nuisance.” SDCL ch 47-21 does authorize the creation and existence of rural electric cooperatives. However, it does not legalize stray voltage through a customer’s property that exceeds the industry standard or to allow unreasonable ground current. Kuper’s invitation to L-U did not include the power to send the stray voltage or unreasonable ground current. See E.E. Woods, Annotation, Electric Generating Plant or Transformer Station as Nuisance, 4 A.L.R.3d 902, 910 (1965) (if damage caused, and public utility authorized under legislative authority did not exercise due care, nuisance may exist). The jury was instructed on nuisance as follows:
A nuisance consists of unlawfully doing an act, or omitting to perform a duty, which act or omission either: 1) annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others; or 2) in any way renders other persons insecure in life, or in the use of property. But the defendant has no duty to correct or discontinue an alleged nuisance without knowledge.of it. One cannot be said in any manner to neglect or refuse to perform a duty unless he knows or reasonably should have known that an act or omission involves peril or harm to another. If you find that the defendant reasonably had no knowledge that neutral-to-earth voltage from its primary distribution line was causing alleged harm to the plaintiffs’ dairy cattle, then the defendant cannot be said to have breached a duty and cannot be charged with creating a nuisance.
L-U did have control over the ground rods and neutral wires on the primary side to effect the stray voltage and the ground current. L-U argues that Crockford v. City of Hot Springs, 68 S.D. 502, 4 N.W.2d 805 (1942), held that public utilities cannot be nuisance. This interpretation is only partially correct. The trial court found and we upheld in Crockford the findings that, since the sewer facility was “in accordance with modern and commonly accepted methods” and the emitted odor was “incident to its operation,” it was not a public or private nuisance. 68 S.D. at 504-05, 4 N.W.2d at 806. Kuper alleged and the trial court believed that L-U is exceeding “modern and commonly accepted methods” by having stray voltage above .5 volts, the purported industry standard, and L-U’s stated policy maximum. Therefore, Crockford is distinguishable.
[¶57.] Furthermore, in Greer, 79 S.D. at 31, 107 N.W.2d at 338-39, we held a public dump was not a nuisance per se in view of statutory authority to operate said dump. However, when the municipal corporation fails to perform its function in a reasonable manner, and to take reasonable precautions against damaging private property, its public dump may become a private nuisance. Id. at 32, 107 N.W.2d at 339. There is evidence in this case which, if believed by the jury, the fact finder, that L-U exceeded the industry standard.
[¶ 58.] Recently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that a dairy farmer could maintain a nuisance claim for damage to dairy cattle against an electric cooperative. Vogel, 548 N.W.2d at 829. In Vogel, the court stated: “We conclude that nuisance law is applicable to stray voltage claims because excessive levels of stray voltage may invade a person’s private use and enjoyment of land.” Id. 548 N.W.2d at 834.
[¶ 59.] L-U contends that the verdict was inconsistent based on the fact the jury found no damage to Kuper’s real estate under negligence theory and did find damage under nuisance theory. Negligence and nuisance are two different torts. Damage to real estate is different than interference with the use and enjoyment of real property known as nuisance. In Greer, we stated:
As a general rule, negligence is not involved in nuisance actions or proceedings, and is not essential to the cause of action. If a particular use of property causes a nuisance, this fact is itself sufficient to entitle a person injured thereby to entitle a person injured thereby to relief. If a nuisance exists, the facts that due care was exercised and due precautions were taken against the annoyance or injury complained of are immaterial; and the fact *764that defendant has used the ordinary means to avoid the nuisance complained of which are used in general by others engaged in the same business is no defense. In fact, a nuisance may be created or maintained with the best or highest degree of care[.]
79 S.D. at 32, 107 N.W.2d at 339 (citations and quotations omitted); see also 3 Barry A. Lindahl, Modem Tort Law Liability & Litigation § 35.08 at 201 (RevEd 1995). Therefore, I would hold the trial court did not err in submitting the nuisance theory to the jury.
[¶ 60.] I am authorized to state that Justice GILBERTSON joins in this dissent.

. SDCL 21-10-3 states: "A public nuisance is one which affects at the same time an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, although the extent of the annoyance or damage inflicted upon the individuals may be unequal. Every other nuisance is private.” Since Kuper is just claiming injury to his property, this is a private nuisance action.