Something Smells

Something Smells

There’s something “smelly” in Missouri and it stands on two legs. Missouri law courts have been plagued for the past fifteen years by lawyer Charlie Speer who has filed numerous “odor” lawsuits against local hog operations. Disturbingly enough he has managed to win nearly every suit. These types of alleged nuisance lawsuits are not new to the ag business. Hog and cattle operations have had to pump thousands of dollars over the years in their defense.  Interestingly, Mr. Speer has chosen Missouri to champion his smelly cause even though there are other states that have nearly six times the number of hog producers. Why? Because Missouri has no limit to plaintiff recovery amounts in alleged nuisance cases. Mr. Speer sees gold in Missouri’s fields, and it ain’t hay. In fact none of the plaintiffs have cited health issues in the case, only that it smells bad. Anyone who has lived in an agricultural community knows you can’t raise livestock without any odor. Is it an overwhelming and overpowering odor? No, in fact my son’s and his friend’s sneakers have issued forth a more offensive and atrocious odor.

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