Missouri court overturns ruling giving couple ownership of neighbour's road
The Missouri Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that granted a couple full ownership of a private road crossing their neighbor's property to access their landlocked land. The appellate court ruled that the law entitles the landowners to a permanent easement rather than outright land ownership.
Why it matters
This ruling clarifies property rights and easement laws regarding landlocked real estate and neighbor disputes over access roads.
A Missouri couple who bought land without road access secured a legal route through their neighbour’s property, but a dispute over who would own that road led to an appeal. On August 26, 2026, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, reversed a ruling that would have transferred ownership of the road to the couple, Clint Bowen and Morgan Bowen. According to the court’s opinion, published by Justia in Bowen v. Roeder, the couple qualified for a private road because their property had no public road access. However, the law entitled them to a permanent easement, not ownership of the land beneath the road.Couple sought access to landlocked propertyBowen and his wife purchased a tract of landlocked real estate in St. Clair County, Missouri, in 2023, intending to build a family home there.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in