Thank you Leslie Kinsel for testifying at the Texas House Land and Resources Committee Hearing in Austin last Friday. The hearing went long after midnight as many affected landowners testified in support of SB 421 and HB 991.  Of course there were many oil lobbyists testifying to leave the law as is. Private pipeline companies have been granted the right to use eminent domain to take land for their private exporting projects. Thousands of acres of land have been taken and hundreds of thousands of trees have been clear cut. The state of Texas has mandated by law a very low one time payment these companies can pay for your land. There are many more projects being planned right now. If you have not been effected, you could be soon. The easement contract we received is very restrictive demanding no obstructions including buildings, fences, roads, waterlines, or utilities cross their easement. There are no setbacks from your homes or water wells. The State of Texas has made laws taking away your private property rights and making it difficult to near impossible to negotiate with these companies. We had to hire an attorney to defend our homes, land, and income. We don’t believe we owe our land and income to China and other foreign countries.  You will not hear about the pipeline project until the company already has approval from the Texas Railroad Commission, the route has been set, and a landman shows up at your door. Right through the middle of our ranch, is now a pipeline corridor. We have two 36” natural gas pipelines,  now a new 24” natural gas solids pipeline, with more to come. Each has its own 50 foot permanent easement with a 25 foot construction easement on each side. The new project was under construction for eight long months. Once you have one pipeline then you are a corridor. The States reasoning for corridors is they make the least environmental impact. That’s not true for the landowner. Please call your senator and representative now and ask them to support SB 421 and HB 991, and any other eminent domain reform bill. SB 421 has passed in the Senate and will be voted on in the House as HB 991 soon, if it gets out of House Land and Resources Committee. Similar reform bills failed last session in the House. Land owners, we need fair compensation, transparency, and regulation for these massive exporting projects. The Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Farm Bureau, and Texas Land and Mineral Owners are just some of the organizations who are testifying and working hard for reform. If you are not a member, please join and support their efforts. 

I will call our District Judge tomorrow. She is a personal friend. Half the time, the problem is who to call or write. Our state reps and senators are not very visible. 

a judge isn't going to do diddly 

State Representatives to include State Senators. Learn what District One lives in and then contact said District Representatives. Also, contact The Commissioner of The Texas Railroad Commission!

I work the pipelines. Eminent domain stinks. However, there’s plenty the landowner can do to benefit themselves, including negotiate higher payments per foot and negotiate reroutes etc.. The best way to really get screwed by eminent domain is depend on attorneys and courts to defend you, or just sign the first contract that’s brought. 

I’d be happy to discuss this with you. I have lots of references here on barrelhorseworld and a solid resume that will tell you I know what I’m talking about. 

PM me if you want. 

Thank you for your offer. We’ve heard of another exporting project that could be following this same corridor.  This pipeline company would not move the route from right in front of our homes and next to our water well until we hired an eminent domain attorney.  We tried negotiating with them but they were inflexible.  Because we farm/ranch our land, I wouldn’t feel comfortable signing these forever, restrictive contracts without an attorney.  Even though we had discussed things we wanted done with the landman, and thought we were in agreement, if it wasn’t specifically worded in the contract, they wouldn’t do it.  There are so many pitfalls in that contract for the landowner.  We had to watch the construction crews everyday and continually call the landman to remind him what our contract said. It’s a full time job for the landowner.

Does anyone know if these bills passed? I just found out we have a meeting with a pipeline company. Ugh!