Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation

July 06, 2004
Seminole annexation

Attachments:

Brief of Amicus Curiae OK Agricultural Legal Foundation 12 23 03.pdf

Private property rights received a strong boost and the Foundation won a huge victory when the Oklahoma State Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision and ruled municipalities cannot annex land without having a reasonable purpose. The July 6, 2004, decision, 2004 OK 60, 102 P.3d 120, involved the case of local landowners versus the City of Seminole. Seminole wanted to “strip” annex an area 3 feet wide and 10 miles long to access property near I-40. The annexation would have increased the city’s municipal tax base without providing additional services within the strip area.

The Court’s decision adds a new dimension to annexation law by demanding municipalities look at the tangible municipal value of property before annexing the land. The Foundation assisted in the case by filing a “friend of the court” brief and providing other valuable legal resources to support the landowners.