Also known as: buttal · abuttals · boundaries
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
An archaic term for the boundaries of a parcel of land, particularly the sides where the land abuts neighboring properties.
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Brian Bailey stood on his front lawn when the neighbor blocked all exits with vehicles. The confinement occurred entirely inside the buttals of the lot, satisfying the requirement that the actor fix the boundaries. Bailey remained aware of the restriction throughout the episode.
Benjamin Brooks offered testimony from longtime residents about the buttals of his rural parcel. The statements arose before the lawsuit and described longstanding customs affecting the land. The court admitted the evidence to establish the historical boundaries.
Barbara Bennett attempted to leave her yard through an open gate at the rear buttals. Because a reasonable escape route existed and she knew of it, the confinement failed the completeness test. No liability attached under the governing standard.
Bristol Steel proposed expanding its plant beyond the current buttals of its industrial site. The commission denied the request on speech-related grounds tied to the property's perimeter. The company challenged the denial as exceeding constitutional bounds.
Bobby Brady sought to operate his bakery beyond the buttals permitted by state hour limits. The statute restricted work within those lines to protect worker health. The challenge questioned whether the boundary rules violated liberty of contract.
Benson Motors purchased land whose buttals fell inside a newly zoned residential district. The ordinance prevented commercial use across those boundaries. The company contested the zoning as an unreasonable restriction on the property.
Buttals is an archaic word for the boundaries of a parcel of land, especially the sides that abut adjacent properties.
Supporting sources
Reputation evidence concerning the buttals of land in a community may be admissible when it arose before the controversy and concerns boundaries or customs affecting the land.
The term identifies the fixed boundaries within which an actor must confine another for false-imprisonment liability to arise, and the confinement must be complete inside those lines.
…that the State must accord them its respect. History and tradition guide and discipline the inquiry but do not set its outer boundaries. When new insight reveals discord between the Constitution’s central protections and a received legal stricture, a claim to liberty must be addressed. Applying these tenets, the Court has…