CAMDENTON, Mo. (AP) -- Nearly every year, Patsy Riley has gotten unsolicited offers for her house on Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks with its spectacular views of tree-lined bluffs and its ample shoreline, but she never wanted to leave. Now, she and hundreds of her neighbors wonder what will become of their homes after a federal agency declared that many structures built close to the lake may have to go.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, citing restrictions on private developments around dams, says thousands of residences, decks, patios and boathouses appear to encroach on land belonging to the hydroelectric project in violation of federal regulations.

The announcement has triggered panic in the area's lakefront communities and led to a growing battle among regulators, a utility company, land attorneys and the state's congressional delegation. Officials say they are searching for a way to settle the issue without mass evictions.

"We are mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore," said Riley, who has lived at the lake for more than 30 years and estimates about half of her neighborhood is threatened.

The dispute pits the government's rules for hydroelectric projects against the potential vagaries of land records and private transactions that go back more than 80 years. Riley and other property owners say they have legal deeds to their land that permitted construction. The agency says it has regulations protecting the lake's recreation, scenery and environment against development.

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Sounds more like a land grab to me by the Power company.

agenda 21 and all it's glory includes a land grab....I don't agree to building in an unsafe area (too close to water etc) but it sounds like if the rules have changed since these folks built, there would be a grandfather clause in the new law.

If I read the entire article correctly, Ameren is not the bad guy here. Gov regs are the problem

Has been happening in a like fashion up here in WASHINGTON - we are having new "Wetlands" designated, where a Landowner is suddenly finding that most, or ALL of his property is suddenly not able to be used. Still gets to pay taxes on it, though. Can't find a buyer with the new restrictions.

Got the same issues in southern Indiana, 100 year flood plan. Now residents have to get an additional building permit through th IDNR. No new permits to build on land that has been owened for centries. And by the way after the last fund no fema help, while the rest of the ohio and mississippi valey received help. The feds and state has wanted thid properity for years.

If these landowners' property is partially on someone else's(power company), there may still be hope for them. There is, in some states, statute that says if you occupy a property and pay taxes as if you owned that property for a number of yrs (set by statute, 7-10 comes to mind) the occupier (homeowner) becomes the owner of that property. In any case, they should be grandfathered in no matter what.

It's called adverse position, in Indiana you must show three segments of the law.
1. Pay taxes for ten years
2. Make open and notarious claim to the property
3. Take care of the property

Just went through a court proceding and $6,000.00 to claim property that has been in my position but not on the deed for thirty six years.