Author Topic: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas  (Read 4830 times)

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Offline Sanguine

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Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« on: October 26, 2016, 11:37:12 pm »
This sounds like something all of us should participate in.

Quote

Have you been impacted by eminent domain? Do you think Texas landowners deserve a more fair process? Several eminent domain meetings will be held across the Lone Star State to discuss those issues, along with ideas to safeguard Texans’ private property rights.

“All land and property owners are invited to attend a meeting to hear from experts and learn about efforts to better protect their property rights,” Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) President Russell Boening said. “Come learn about how you can get involved and have your voice heard.”

Property owners who attend will learn about upcoming legislative efforts to achieve fairness in the laws that govern the use of eminent domain in Texas. An overview of current laws will be discussed along with possible improvements.

The meetings are held jointly by the Texas Farm Bureau, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Forestry Association, South Texans’ Property Rights Association, Texas Poultry Association, Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, Independent Cattlemen’s Association, Texas Grain Sorghum Association, Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. and Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association.

The eminent domain meetings currently scheduled are listed below:

Jourdanton
Thursday, Oct. 27
6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Cowboy Fellowship of Atascosa County
561 FM 3350
Jourdanton, Texas 78026

Hempstead
Tuesday, Nov. 1
6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Blackwood Educational Center
27144 Rock Island Road
Hempstead, Texas 77445

Corsicana
Wednesday, Nov. 2
6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Navarro County Exposition Center
1921 N. 45th Street
Corsicana, Texas 75110

Lufkin
Monday, Nov. 14
5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
Pitser Garrison Civic Center – Lufkin Room
601 N. 2nd Street
Lufkin, Texas 75901

Bastrop
Tuesday, Nov. 15
6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Bastrop Convention and Exhibit Center
1408 Chestnut Street
Bastrop, Texas 78602

Beaumont
Thursday, Nov. 17
6 p.m.-7 p.m.
The Holiday Inn & Suites Beaumont Plaza, Austin Room
3950 I-10 South (at Walden Road)
Beaumont, Texas 77705

A Lubbock meeting will be scheduled for December, as well as a webinar.

“The Lone Star State is growing, which means new development has put a target on Texas private property,” Boening said. “Landowners are left searching for a fair offer in eminent domain cases, and we want to bring about reform to eminent domain in Texas.”

Under the current law, landowners must pay attorney fees out of pocket, never allowing them to truly be made whole. Lowball early offers from some property takers—pipeline companies, electric utilities and others—often discourage landowners from appealing because of those legal fees.

Legislation to mitigate those lowball offers could help make a taking of private property a little more fair.

Contact TFB Associate Legislative Director Marissa Patton at mpatton@txfb.org or 512-472-8288 with questions regarding eminent domain takings.

@geronl @Bigun @Victoria33 @txradioguy @DrewsDad @TXnTX @Texas Yellow Rose @TexasCoastalPlains @ConstitutionRose @Texas Fossil @TexasSecede @texastwostep

Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2016, 11:40:11 pm »
Ooops, link:  http://texasfarmbureau.org/eminent-domain-meetings-scheduled-across-texas/
@AbaraXas @corbe @TheMom @SquirrelCutter @IsailedawayfromFR @Night Hides Not @Ghost Bear @XenaLee @Elderberry @M1078 @sinkspur

I know I've managed to forget someone.  Please ping them here if you see a Texan I've overlooked.

Offline Sanguine

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Offline GrouchoTex

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2016, 01:45:39 am »
@GrouchoTex

Thanks, and I hope they add one somewhere near Ft. Bend county.

Offline Idiot

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2016, 01:52:21 am »
Ooops, link:  http://texasfarmbureau.org/eminent-domain-meetings-scheduled-across-texas/
@AbaraXas @corbe @TheMom @SquirrelCutter @IsailedawayfromFR @Night Hides Not @Ghost Bear @XenaLee @Elderberry @M1078 @sinkspur

I know I've managed to forget someone.  Please ping them here if you see a Texan I've overlooked.
Please add me to your Texas ping list if you would.

Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2016, 02:17:43 am »
Please add me to your Texas ping list if you would.

Done.

geronl

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2016, 04:40:53 am »
Texas landowners have had problems with mineral rights, which are very often owned by someone other than the property owner, the holder of the mineral rights get the right to your land too, within reason. (like they drill for oil in the backyard)

Offline AllThatJazzZ

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2016, 07:25:27 pm »
Ooops, link:  http://texasfarmbureau.org/eminent-domain-meetings-scheduled-across-texas/
@AbaraXas @corbe @TheMom @SquirrelCutter @IsailedawayfromFR @Night Hides Not @Ghost Bear @XenaLee @Elderberry @M1078 @sinkspur

I know I've managed to forget someone.  Please ping them here if you see a Texan I've overlooked.

Texan here. I think I'm safe, but I have family members from West Texas to East Texas, from North Texas to the Valley, as well as the Gulf Coast. They need this info.


A government big enough to give you everything you want
is a government big enough to take away everything you have.


Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2016, 07:26:52 pm »
Texan here. I think I'm safe, but I have family members from West Texas to East Texas, from North Texas to the Valley, as well as the Gulf Coast. They need this info.

I've added you and @BuckeyeTexan to the list.

geronl

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2016, 07:29:34 pm »
It would have been a whole lot easier for the mineral rights to stay with the land....would have simplified things.  Now it takes us MONTHS to find all the mineral owners/heirs to lease some acreage.  Some can never be found and it has to go to court...that takes a year.

I'm not really sure why someone thought it'd be a good idea to make the mineral rights a separate thing.

Offline thackney

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2016, 07:49:35 pm »
I'm not really sure why someone thought it'd be a good idea to make the mineral rights a separate thing.

It seems rather obvious from the point of the seller of the land.  Less so for the buyer of the surface rights only.
Life is fragile, handle with prayer

Offline AllThatJazzZ

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2016, 01:28:36 am »
I've added you and @BuckeyeTexan to the list.

@Sanguine

I've reconsidered. Would you mind removing me from your ping list. Thanks.


A government big enough to give you everything you want
is a government big enough to take away everything you have.


Offline Elderberry

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #12 on: October 28, 2016, 01:30:02 am »
They are currently tunneling with a 102 inch pipe across my city lot. They are running a 60 inch water line and having to tunnel under a pipeline that runs under my yard.

No eminent domain. Just a lot of inconvenience. The project is scheduled to complete Nov2017.


Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2016, 02:31:06 am »
@Sanguine

I've reconsidered. Would you mind removing me from your ping list. Thanks.

Of course.  Not that I ping anything very often.

Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #14 on: October 28, 2016, 02:32:01 am »
They are currently tunneling with a 102 inch pipe across my city lot. They are running a 60 inch water line and having to tunnel under a pipeline that runs under my yard.

No eminent domain. Just a lot of inconvenience. The project is scheduled to complete Nov2017.



That does look like a pain while it's ongoing.

Offline AllThatJazzZ

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #15 on: October 28, 2016, 02:36:43 am »
Of course.  Not that I ping anything very often.

I wasn't worried about that. It's just that I won't be here to get the ping alerts. Take care, fellow Texan.


A government big enough to give you everything you want
is a government big enough to take away everything you have.


Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #16 on: October 28, 2016, 02:37:44 am »
I wasn't worried about that. It's just that I won't be here to get the ping alerts. Take care, fellow Texan.

You're deserting us?  So close to the election?

Offline AllThatJazzZ

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #17 on: October 28, 2016, 02:43:45 am »
You're deserting us?  So close to the election?

Gonna mosey on, but I'll remember some of you wherever I end up.

P.S. Regardless of who wins, there will be nothing to celebrate.  8888crybaby


A government big enough to give you everything you want
is a government big enough to take away everything you have.


Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #18 on: October 28, 2016, 03:21:02 am »
Gonna mosey on, but I'll remember some of you wherever I end up.

P.S. Regardless of who wins, there will be nothing to celebrate.  8888crybaby

I agree.  Stay in touch.

Offline jedidah

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #19 on: October 28, 2016, 04:58:22 am »

I know I've managed to forget someone.  Please ping them here if you see a Texan I've overlooked.


Texan here AND a victim of eminent domain.  Please add me to your list?

Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #20 on: October 28, 2016, 11:38:29 am »

Texan here AND a victim of eminent domain.  Please add me to your list?

Done.

@jedidah, can you tell us anything about your situation?
« Last Edit: October 28, 2016, 12:58:25 pm by Sanguine »

Offline Elderberry

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #21 on: October 28, 2016, 12:51:35 pm »
That does look like a pain while it's ongoing.

I usually only have to compete with the squirrels and neighbors to harvest my pecans.  Now I have a whole crew of workers to compete with as well.

They have dug below the water table so they are pumping water 24/7 into the corner of the street. Even with a huge silt bag on the output, our side of the street, several feet along the curb, is covered with goo, for about 4 houses to the storm drain.

Offline jedidah

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #22 on: October 28, 2016, 03:20:14 pm »
Can you tell us anything about your situation?

Oncor was undertaking a massive power line project.  Flooded potentially affected property owners with maps and literature laying out many, many options, some simple Point A to Point B and some potential routes downright laughable.

Common sense suggested that one of the practical and short alternatives would prevail.

Turns out, they "convinced" the PUC to approve one of the laughable alternatives, a route that required building 40 miles more line in order to avoid crossing a greenbelt in one of the Point A to Point B routes.  Property owners, feet mired solidly in reality, had not mustered an army of lawyers to appear before the PUC in their defense vs. the environmentalists who didn't want to look  up at power lines while jogging. 

My property was crossed by the extra 40 miles of towers and lines. First came the low-ball offer, arrogance and intimidation, an absolute refusal to use an already-existing easement nearby, etc., no real negotiation at all.  It was their way or condemnation.  I was able to get more than double their offer by taking it to court without representation.  Wasn't willing to fork most of the settlement over to lawyers.

Lost around 100 pecan trees, a good fishing lake, and a view that is now scarred by ugly towers and high power danger.  Still don't want to talk about it.

Offline Sanguine

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Re: Eminent domain meetings scheduled across Texas
« Reply #23 on: October 28, 2016, 05:13:14 pm »
Oncor was undertaking a massive power line project.  Flooded potentially affected property owners with maps and literature laying out many, many options, some simple Point A to Point B and some potential routes downright laughable.

Common sense suggested that one of the practical and short alternatives would prevail.

Turns out, they "convinced" the PUC to approve one of the laughable alternatives, a route that required building 40 miles more line in order to avoid crossing a greenbelt in one of the Point A to Point B routes.  Property owners, feet mired solidly in reality, had not mustered an army of lawyers to appear before the PUC in their defense vs. the environmentalists who didn't want to look  up at power lines while jogging. 

My property was crossed by the extra 40 miles of towers and lines. First came the low-ball offer, arrogance and intimidation, an absolute refusal to use an already-existing easement nearby, etc., no real negotiation at all.  It was their way or condemnation.  I was able to get more than double their offer by taking it to court without representation.  Wasn't willing to fork most of the settlement over to lawyers.

Lost around 100 pecan trees, a good fishing lake, and a view that is now scarred by ugly towers and high power danger.  Still don't want to talk about it.

@jedidah, that's really ugly.  So sorry you went through that.  I hope this is a cautionary story for the rest of us.