City of Fort Smith v. Bates

Elsijane T. Roy, Justice.

In November, 1973, appellees Doyle and Bernice Bates purchased certain real property from Mrs. Jamie Williamson. The property was adjacent to Wheeler Avenue in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on which a widening project had commenced several years prior to the purchase. Before beginning this work the City of Fort Smith (hereafter City) secured permission, after lengthy negotiations, from Mrs. Williamson to utilize an eleven foot strip of land across the front of her property for widening purposes in exchange for making certain improvements to the remaining property. The…