The Iowa Supreme Court entered opinions in eleven cases in November 2024. In addition to the four cases covered in individual stories on the blog, the remaining opinions from November are summarized below.
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Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in 10 cases Dec. 17 and 18
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear arguments in 10 cases Dec. 17 and 18, and three other cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of the December cases.

No Fourth Amendment violation in vehicle search after drug-sniffing dog sticks its nose through an open window, Iowa Supreme Court holds
The Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure was not violated when a drug detection dog inserted its nose into the open window of a suspect’s vehicle, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a divided Dec. 6 decision.

Landowners challenging DOT eminent domain action missed a critical filing deadline, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Owners of farmland in Story County seeking to block the Iowa Department of Transportation’s condemnation of part of their property for a highway project succeeded in getting their appeal before the Iowa Supreme Court even after missing one filing deadline, but they lost their bid to revive their case in district court because they missed a second and critical deadline.

Pipeline statute giving surveyors access to private property is constitutional, Iowa Supreme Court holds
Iowa’s statute governing hazardous underground pipelines that allows pipeline developers to enter private property to conduct surveys against a landowner’s will is not an unconstitutional taking, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a Nov. 22 decision.
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Roofing company’s 30-day grace period and 1.5% monthly default charge is not subject to Consumer Credit Code
A roofing contractor who granted its customer a 30-day grace period to pay for a roofing job along with 1.5% a month in interest for tardy payment did not grant credit and is not subject to the Iowa Consumer Credit Code, the Iowa Supreme Court held in a unanimous Jan. 24 decision.
Iowa Supreme Court to hear arguments in five cases Jan. 21
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in five cases Jan. 21, and two cases will be submitted to the Court without oral argument. Following are brief summaries of those cases.
Iowa Court of Appeals December 2024 Published Opinion Roundup
The Iowa Court of Appeals selects certain opinions for publication in the Northwestern Reporter. In December, the Court of Appeals selected eight opinions for publication. Following are summaries of those opinions.
City’s requirement that renters admit city inspectors is not unconstitutional, Iowa Supreme Court holds
A northwestern Iowa city’s ordinance that requires landlords and tenants to allow city officials into apartments to inspect for building code violations is not unconstitutional, at least on its face, because the ordinance may be applied in ways that would not offend the Iowa Constitution, the Iowa Supreme Court said in a decision handed down Dec. 20.
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On Brief: Iowa’s Appellate Blog is devoted to appellate litigation with a focus on the Iowa Supreme Court, the Iowa Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.