{"data":{"id":"us-me/38-m.r.s.-703","jurisdiction":"us-me","citation":"38 M.R.S. §703","heading":"Defenses","body":"The owner or occupant of such mill or canal may answer that the plaintiff has no right, title or estate in the lands alleged to be injured; or that the owner or occupant has a right to maintain such dam, and flow the lands, or divert the water for an agreed price, or without any compensation; or any other matter that may show that the plaintiff cannot maintain the action; but the owner or occupant may not answer that the land described is not injured by such dam or canal.","path":["TITLE 38: WATERS AND NAVIGATION","CHAPTER 5: GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RIVERS AND STREAMS","SUBCHAPTER 1: MILLS AND DAMS","ARTICLE 1: ERECTION AND FLOWAGE RIGHTS"],"source_url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/38/title38sec703.html","current_through":"October 1, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-04T15:12:41Z","sha256":"3a2f9b75e63080461c82354a196d148bfe13e3ebaba88ff55713fadccb5143d4","source_id":"us-me","stale":false,"prev":"us-me/38-m.r.s.-702","next":"us-me/38-m.r.s.-704"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}