South Dakota Codified Laws 15-2A-1. Legislative findings–Ten-year limitation–Exceptions
The Legislature finds that subsequent to the completion of construction, persons involved in the planning, design, and construction of improvements to real estate lack control over the determination of the need for, the undertaking of and the responsibility for maintenance, and lack control over other forces, uses and intervening causes which cause stress, strain, wear, and tear to the improvements and, in most cases, have no right or opportunity to be made aware of or to evaluate the effect of these forces on a particular improvement or to take action to overcome the effect of these forces. Therefore, it is in the public interest to set a point in time following the substantial completion of the project after which no action may be brought for errors and omissions in the planning, design, and construction of improvements to real estate, whether these errors and omissions have resulted or may result in injury or not, unless the person involved in the planning, design, and construction of the improvements was guilty of fraud, fraudulent concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation, willful or wanton misconduct, or unless the person involved in the planning, design, and construction of improvements to real estate expressly warranted or guaranteed the improvement for a longer time period. This legislation is determined to be in the public interest and in the interest of equating the rights of due process between the prospective litigants in the areas of planning, design, and construction of improvements to real property in an equitable manner, while adjusting the standard of care so that persons attempting to bring actions under a general standard of care against persons involved in the planning, design, and construction of improvements to real estate only have ten years to bring actions following substantial completion against those involved in the planning, design, and construction, and following that ten–year time period actions may be brought against such persons only if they are guilty of fraud, fraudulent concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of express warranties or guarantees, or willful or wanton misconduct in the planning, design, and construction of improvements to real estate.
Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 15-2A-1
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Person: includes natural persons, partnerships, associations, cooperative corporations, limited liability companies, and corporations. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
Source: SL 1985, ch 156, § 1.