A big utility company loses another round in a court case about northeast Iowa cows. Daniel and Coleen Martins of Monona sued Interstate Power Company, charging that stray voltage from a power station a quarter of a mile away was harming their dairy cattle. The Martins say their cows exhibited “strange behavior”, had lots of illnesses and didn’t produce as much milk as was expected. A jury that heard the case awarded the Martins 700-thousand dollars. The utility appealed. The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the judgment. The Court ruled the voltage is a nuisance because it interferes with the Martins “use and enjoyment” of their land. And the Appeals Court said a business, even if it’s following the law, “may still constitute a nuisance if the business interferes with another’s use” of their property.
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