This section defines terms used in the act, including tract, land, owner, adjoins, platted, land devoted to agricultural use, qualified elector, area proposed to be annexed, and watercourse.
12-519. Definitions. As used in this act: (a) "Tract" means a single unit of real property under one ownership, outside the corporate limits of a city, which may be platted or unplatted, title to which is publicly or privately held by an owner as defined by subsection (c). (b) "Land" means a part of a tract or one or more tracts. (c) "Owner" means the one who has record title to a tract. In the event two or more persons have record title to a tract, "owner" shall be defined as follows: (1) If joint tenants, "owner" means a majority of the number of joint tenants; (2) if tenants in common, "owner" means both a majority of the number of tenants in common and the holders of a majority of the undivided interests in the tract; (3) if the tract is held by a life tenant and a remainderman, "owner" means the life tenant; (4) if the tract is held by a tenant under a recorded lease providing for a lease term of 10 years or longer and a remainderman, "owner" means both such tenant and remainderman; (5) if one holds title to the surface and another holds title to the minerals, "owner" means the surface title holder. (d) "Adjoins" means to lie upon or touch (1) the city boundary line; or (2) a highway, railway or watercourse which lies upon the city boundary line and separates such city and the land sought to be annexed by only the width of such highway, railway or watercourse. (e) "Platted" means a tract or tracts mapped or drawn to scale, showing a division or divisions thereof, which map or drawing is filed in the office of the register of deeds by the owner of such tract. (f) "Land devoted to agricultural use" means land which is devoted to the production of plants, animals or horticultural products, including but not limited to: Forages; grains and feed crops; dairy animals and dairy products; poultry and poultry products; beef cattle, sheep, swine and horses; bees and apiary products; trees and forest products; fruits, nuts and berries; vegetables; or nursery, floral, ornamental and greenhouse products. Land devoted to agricultural use shall not include those lands which are used for recreational purposes, suburban residential acreages, rural home sites or farm home sites and yard plots whose primary function is for residential or recreational purposes even though such properties may produce or maintain some of those plants or animals listed in the foregoing definition. (g) "Qualified elector" means any owner of land, as defined under this section, within the area proposed to be annexed under the provisions of K.S.A. 12-521, and amendments thereto. (h) "Area proposed to be annexed" means the area approved for annexation by the board of county commissioners under provisions of K.S.A. 12-521, and amendments thereto. (i) "Watercourse" means a natural or manmade course where water may flow on a regular or intermittent basis; a watercourse shall not include a natural or manmade lake, pond or other impoundment of five or more acres of surface area. History: L. 1967, ch. 98, § 1; L. 1974, ch. 56, § 1; L. 1987, ch. 66, § 1; L. 2011, ch. 101, § 5; June 2.