City of Houston v. Duff

STONE, Presiding Judge.

This is an action by the City of Houston, Missouri, under the so-called Sawyer Act [V.A.M.S. 71.015; Laws of 1953, p. 309] for a declaratory judgment authorizing it to annex four contiguous tracts (hereinafter referred to as the contiguous tracts) having an aggregate area of 487.69 acres. Its pleaded theory is that the proposed annexation “is reasonable and necessary, because of the city’s need of additional land for residential and industrial building sites and general police power and regulations, for the proper development of said city.” Following trial, the circuit…