John, a widower, sold his St. Louis business and retired to his 500-acre farm in mid-Missouri. Soon after, he met Wilma, who moved in. From the beginning, their relationship was chaotic. When John asked her to leave, she became infuriated. The sheriff had to remove her forcefully. However, Wilma was not out of John’s life. […]
Larry Bade, a registered Professional Land Surveyor of Lewis-Bade, Inc., a survey and civil engineering company, has experienced many changes in land surveying in the past 47 years. In the old days, a survey crew consisted of 3 or 4 men. Two men would be hacking down the brush and small trees to create a […]
(From Land News & Listing Report – 03/15/2016) When business decisions are clouded by personal relationship, bad things can happen. Last week, I received an email from a landowner who wanted advice on how to sell his land. The land had been listed for two years and no offers had been received. He ended his […]
Jane Smith, who is married to Joe Smith, inherits a farm. At this point, Jane has both an equitable interest and a spousal interest in the farm. Even though her husband Joe has not inherited the farm, he does have a spousal interest. Now, when Jane sells the farm, the title company will require that […]
I am baffled when real estate brokers or appraisers declare soil is just dirt. That is the same as a concertmaster referring to a Stradivarius violin as just a fiddle. The soil is the foundation of all real estate. We live on it, play on it, and gather food from it. The types of soil […]
Many years ago, when I was growing up on a Central Illinois farm, my dad and I developed a herd of registered Aberdeen Angus cattle. Like most farm boys my age, I was in 4-H and F.F.A and devoted most of my summers to showing cattle at county fairs and the state fair. A lot of time […]
For a real estate contract to be valid and enforceable: Must be in writing Must be signed Must have consideration Must identify the property Must state the purchase price or a reasonably ascertainable figure Must show that all parities have a “a meeting of the minds.” Case#1. A few years ago, a landowner proudly announced […]
You’ve just closed the sale on your land and the title insurance company is wire transferring the money to your bank. The funds will be available to you within hours. In 99 % of the time all goes smoothly, but, there are reports where it hasn’t! Recently, Lloyd Wurdack, President Franklin County Title Insurance […]
Question: Howard, my neighbor is buying 50 acres of my 200-acre farm. He wants a First Right of Refusal to buy the remaining 150 acres. I think it’s a good idea to have a buyer when we’re ready to sell. My wife doesn’t agree. How can I convince her? Answer: Your wife has reason […]
Those are the not words I wanted to hear from the title company, but that was the message received just two weeks before the closing on this Franklin County farm. As it would turn out, there were a multitude of problems and to understand these problems we need to start in 1969. In 1969, […]