John Gansen and Elaine Bries, as Trustees of the Frances A. Gansen Declaration of Trust v. James B. Gansen

APPEL, Justice.

In this case, we consider a'disputé regarding a lease of land used for agricultural purposes. The substantive legal question presented by the parties is whether the terms of two five-year leases — which automatically self-renewed for four additional five-year terms unless the tenant unilaterally opted out of the lease — offend article I, section 24 of the Iowa Constitution. Article I, section 24 of the Iowa Constitution provides that no lease of agricultural lands “shall be valid for a longer period than twenty years.” The district court concluded that to the extent the leases…