City of Lee's Summit v. R & R Equities, LLC

PAUL M. SPINDEN, Judge.

This case arises from Lee’s Summit’s condemnation of property owned by Carl and Althea Huff. The city appeals from the circuit court’s judgment awarding $600,000 to the Huffs after a jury trial. We find error in certain opinion evidence that the circuit court admitted. Because this error resulted in substantial and glaring injustice, we reverse the circuit court’s judgment and remand for a new trial.

The Huffs’ property was approximately 25 acres of vacant, unimproved land with 890 feet of frontage on Ward Road in Lee’s Summit. Because the city wanted to widen Ward Road,…