§ 35-46-102. Owner may recover for trespass

CO Rev Stat § 35-46-102 (2018) (N/A)
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(1) Any person maintaining in good repair a lawful fence, as described in section 35-46-101, may recover damages for trespass and injury to grass, garden or vegetable products, or other crops of such person from the owner of any livestock which break through such fence. No person shall recover damages for such a trespass or injury unless at the time thereof such grass, garden or vegetable products, or crops were protected by such a lawful fence. Even though such land, grass, garden or vegetable products, or other crops were not at such time protected on all sides by a lawful fence, if it is proved by clear and convincing evidence that livestock have broken through a lawful fence on one side of such land to reach such land, grass, products, or crops, recovery and the remedies under this section may be had the same as if such land, grass, products, or crops had been at such time protected on all sides by a lawful fence.

(2) Whenever any person stocks land, not enclosed by a lawful fence, on which such person has a lawful right to pasture or forage livestock, with a greater number of livestock than such land can properly support or water and any of such livestock pasture, forage, or water on the lands of another person, in order to obtain the proper amount of pasture, forage, or water or whenever any person stocks with livestock land on which such person has no lawful right to pasture or forage livestock and such livestock pasture, forage, or water on such land or on other land on which such person has no right to pasture or forage livestock, he shall be deemed a trespasser and shall be liable in damages and subject to injunction.

(3) All damages sustained on account of the foregoing trespasses may be recovered, together with costs of court and arbitration, and the livestock so trespassing may be taken up by the person damaged and held as security for the payment of such damages and costs. A court of competent jurisdiction in any proper case may issue an injunction to prevent further trespasses. In any action for trespass where the injury complained of has been aggravated and attended by a willful or reckless disregard of the injured person's rights, the board of arbitration, court, or jury may in addition to awarding actual damages include reasonable exemplary damages. Recovery may be had under this section either in a court of law or by arbitration as provided in section 35-46-103.