Title 21, JUDICIAL REMEDIES

A party who has signed a written contract may be compelled specifically to perform it, though the other party has not signed it, if the latter has performed, or offers to perform it on his part, and the case is otherwise proper for enforcing specific performance. Source: CivC 187…

It is to be presumed that the breach of an agreement to transfer real property cannot be adequately relieved by pecuniary compensation, and that the breach of an agreement to transfer personal property can be thus relieved. Source: CivC 1877, § 1996; CL 1887, § 4629; RCivC 1903, …

A nuisance consists in unlawfully doing an act, or omitting to perform a duty, which act or omission either: (1) Annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others; (2) Offends decency; (3) Unlawfully interferes with, obstructs, or tends to obstruct, o…

Whoever shall own, lease, establish, maintain, or operate any place for purposes of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution, is guilty of a nuisance and the place, including ground, and all contents are declared a nuisance and shall be enjoined and abated as provided in §§ 21-10-1…

Whenever a nuisance is kept, maintained, or exists, as defined in § 21-10-10 , the state's attorney or any citizen of the county may maintain an action in equity in the name of the state, upon the relation of such state's attorney or citizen, perpetually to enjoin said nuisance, …

In an action under § 21-10-11 the court, or a judge in vacation, shall upon the presentation of a complaint alleging that the nuisance complained of exists, allow a temporary injunction without bond, if it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the court or judge by evide…

When an injunction has been granted pursuant to § 21-10-12 , it shall be binding on the defendant throughout the judicial circuit in which it was issued, and any violation of such injunction shall be a contempt as provided in § 21-10-20 . Source: SL 1913, ch 123 , § 2; RC 1919, §…

If the complaint in an action pursuant to § 21-10-11 is filed by a citizen, it shall not be dismissed except upon a sworn statement made by the plaintiff and his attorney setting forth the reasons why the action should be dismissed, and the dismissal approved by the state's attor…

An action pursuant to § 21-10-11 when brought shall be triable at the first term of court after due and timely service of the notice has been given, and in such action evidence of the general reputation of the place shall be admissible for the purpose of proving the existence of …

If an action pursuant to § 21-10-11 is brought by a citizen, and the court finds there was no reasonable ground or cause for said action, the costs may be taxed to such citizen. Source: SL 1913, ch 123 , § 3; RC 1919, § 2080; SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 37.4803.

If the existence of the nuisance be established in an action as provided in § 21-10-11 , an order of abatement shall be entered as a part of the judgment in the case, which order shall direct the removal from the building or place of all fixtures, furniture, musical instruments, …

For removing and selling the movable property pursuant to § 21-10-17 , the officer shall be entitled to charge and receive the same fees as he would for levying upon and selling like property on execution, and for closing the premises and keeping them closed, a reasonable sum sha…

If the owner appears and pays all costs of the proceeding, and files a bond with sureties to be approved by the clerk in the full value of the property, to be ascertained by the court or, in vacation by the judge, conditioned that he will immediately abate said nuisance and preve…

Nothing which is done or maintained under the express authority of a statute can be deemed a nuisance. Source: CivC 1877, § 2050; CL 1887, § 4684; RCivC 1903, § 2396; RC 1919, § 2069; SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 37.4703.

In case of the violation of any injunction granted under the provisions of §§ 21-10-10 to 21-10-19 , inclusive, the court, or in vacation a judge thereof, may summarily try and punish the offender. The proceedings shall be commenced by filing with the clerk of courts, an informat…

As used in this chapter, the term, agricultural operation, includes any facility or appurtenance used in the production or commercial processing of crops, timber, livestock, swine, poultry, livestock products, swine products, or poultry products, or in any agrotourism activity as…

If an action pursuant to § 21-10-1 is brought against an agricultural operation existing continuously, prior to the action, and which is located within one mile of the boundaries of the land use or occupancy of the plaintiff, and if the court finds there was no reasonable ground …

A nuisance action may not be filed against an agricultural operation unless the plaintiff is an owner or lessee of the real property affected by the conditions alleged to be a nuisance, and the real property is located within one mile of the source of the activity or structure al…

It is the policy of the state to conserve, protect, and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural land for the production of food and other agricultural products. The Legislature finds that when nonagricultural land uses extend into agricultural areas, agricul…

No agricultural operation or any of its appurtenances may be deemed to be a nuisance, private or public, by any changed conditions in the locality of the operation or its appurtenances, after the operation has been in existence for more than one year, if the operation was not a n…

The provisions of §§ 21-10-25.2 and 21-10-25.3 do not affect or defeat the right of any person, firm, or corporation to recover damages for any injuries sustained by it as a result of the pollution or other change in the quantity or quality of water used by that person, firm, or …

The provisions of §§ 21-10-25.2 and 21-10-25.3 do not apply to any nuisance resulting from an agricultural operation located within the limits of any incorporated municipality on January 1, 1991. Source: SL 1991, ch 183 , § 5; SL 2023, ch 65 , § 8.

In any nuisance action brought in which an agricultural operation is alleged to be a nuisance, and which is found to be frivolous by the court, the defendant shall recover the aggregate amount of costs and expenses determined by the court to have been reasonably incurred in his b…

The compensatory damages that may be awarded to a plaintiff for a private nuisance action, in which the alleged nuisance resulted from an agricultural operation are as follows: (1) If the nuisance is a permanent nuisance, compensatory damages are measured by the reduction in the …

Any punitive damages claim in a private nuisance action brought against an agricultural operation is determined pursuant to § 21-3-2 . Additionally, a plaintiff may not recover punitive damages in a nuisance action against an agricultural operation unless: (1) The alleged nuisanc…

Sections 21-10-25.7 and 21-10-25.8 do not: (1) Apply to any cause of action brought against an agricultural operation for negligence, trespass, personal injury, strict liability, or other cause of action for tort liability, other than nuisance; and (2) Prohibit or limit any reque…

For the purposes of this section and § 21-10-27 , the term "logging slash" is logging debris consisting of treetops, limbs, cull logs, and other separate vegetation remaining after harvest which has no commercial value. Logging slash shall be treated by lopping and scattering the…

The abandonment of untreated logging slash in a timber harvesting operation consisting of ten acres or more is a public nuisance. Abandonment of untreated logging slash in a timber harvesting operation of ten acres or more is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Source: SL 1989, ch 187 , § 2.

The use or operation of a sport shooting range may not be enjoined as a nuisance if the range is in compliance with those statutes, regulations, and ordinances that applied to the range and its operation at the time when the initial operation of the range commenced. The use or op…

As used in § 21-10-28 , a significant threat to human life or private habitations exists, if shots or ricochets from a sport shooting range not infrequently strike or pass over private property which is frequented by persons or where a private habitation exists. A significant thr…

The use or operation of a sport shooting range may not be enjoined as a nuisance by a person who acquires title to real property adversely affected by the normal operation and use of a sport shooting range which commenced operation prior to the time the person acquired title. Sou…

A public nuisance is one which affects at the same time an entire community or neighborhood, or any considerable number of persons, although the extent of the annoyance or damage inflicted upon the individuals may be unequal. Every other nuisance is private. Source: CivC 1877, §§…

The provisions of §§ 21-10-28 to 21-10-34 , inclusive, do not apply to any recovery for any act or omission relating to the operation or use of any sport shooting range based on negligence or willful or wanton misconduct. Source: SL 1999, ch 113 , § 3.

The provisions of §§ 21-10-28 to 21-10-34 , inclusive, do not apply if there has been a substantial change in the primary use of a sport shooting range. Source: SL 1999, ch 113 , § 4.

Sections 21-10-28 to 21-10-34 , inclusive, do not prohibit a local government from regulating the location and construction of sport shooting ranges after July 1, 1999. Source: SL 1999, ch 113 , § 5.

For the purposes of §§ 21-10-28 to 21-10-34 , inclusive, a sport shooting range is an area designed and operated for the use of rifles, shotguns, or pistols as a means of silhouette, skeet, trap, black powder, or other sport shooting. A sport shooting range includes any shooting …

21-10-33 . The provisions of §§ 21-10-28 to 21-10-34 , inclusive, apply prospectively and do not apply to any action filed before July 1, 1999. Source: SL 1999, ch 113 , § 7.

No lapse of time can legalize a public nuisance, amounting to an actual obstruction of public right. Source: CivC 1877, § 2053; CL 1887, § 4687; RCivC 1903, § 2399; RC 1919, § 2072; SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 37.4704.

Remedies against any nuisance are: (1) A civil action; (2) Abatement; and (3) In cases of public nuisance only, the additional remedy of indictment or information as prescribed by statute and rules relating thereto. Source: CivC 1877, §§ 2054, 2055, 2059; CL 1887, §§ 4688, 4689, …

A public nuisance may be abated without civil action by any public body or officer as authorized by law. Any municipality, county, or township may defray the cost of abating a public nuisance by taxing the cost thereof by assessment against the real property on which the nuisance…

The abatement of a nuisance does not prejudice the right of any person to recover damages for its past existence. Source: CivC 1877, § 2052; CL 1887, § 4686; RCivC 1903, § 2398; RC 1919, § 2071; SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, § 37.4706.

Every successive owner of property who neglects to abate a continuing nuisance upon, or in the use of, such property, created by a former owner, is liable therefor in the same manner as the one who first created it. Source: CivC 1877, § 2051; CL 1887, § 4685; RCivC 1903, § 2397; …

The remedy by civil action against public nuisance may be maintained by any public body or officer authorized thereto by law or official duty, or by any private person if it is specially injurious to himself. Such remedy also may be used by any person whose property is injuriousl…

When through fraud or mutual mistake of the parties, or a mistake of one party which the other at the time knew or suspected, a written contract does not truly express the intention of the parties, it may be revised on the application of a party aggrieved so as to express that in…

For the purpose of revising a contract it must be presumed that all the parties thereto intended to make an equitable and conscientious agreement. Source: CivC 1877, § 2005; CL 1887, § 4638; RCivC 1903, § 2350; RC 1919, § 2021; Supreme Court Rule 563, 1939; SDC 1939 & Supp 1960, …

In revising a written instrument, the court may inquire what the instrument was intended to mean, and what were intended to be its legal consequences, and is not confined to the inquiry what the language of the instrument was intended to be. Source: CivC 1877, § 2006; CL 1887, § …