Pipeline Right of Way - Issues Using Our Property

Oil and Gas Leasing Help
1

We have a family farm, raising cattle, sheep, camels and a few thousand pheasants. The pheasants are released on our farm for hunters. We have had several problems with the right of way people. We pheasant hunt October thru March. They send there people on our farm without telling us. Yes, we might have three guys hunting pheasants and there will be some ROW people walking in the field. They usually do not give us any notice.

They go into our pastures and leave gates open letting livestock out.

A couple of years ago one of the pipes had to be worked on where it crossed under the road next to my property. The road was closed for maybe a week. When they left I went to clean up their trash. Off of the ROW next to a house was the area they used as the toilet. We counted 20+ shop rags that were used as toilet paper. Two houses are within 100 yds of where they relieved themselves.

A few days ago I got a letter fromEnterprise Liquids Pipeline LLC wanting permission to survey across my property. Also received a call from ROW wanting to clean up trees off of pipeline. When they arrived they mowed the ROW. It was warm season grasses with pathes mowed every 20 feet. They claim there was trees growing on the ROW. Not SO. They even mowed off of the ROW. In the fence rows where some big trees were cut by their crew, fences were knocked down, I will repair this morning.

Does the landowner have no rights to carry out his normal farming practices. They take bullying to a new level. When a pipeline person is using the restroom on my property who can I call? Does OSHA watch these people.

Rumor has it they are planning a new pipeline.

Please Help. Bob Hudelson

2

I think you can complain, but there won't be any teeth in it if your original agreement wasn't crafted with the do's and dont's and penalties for failure to observe them. Osha only cares if people are likely to injure themselves or make themselves sick. The poop rags would probably fall under that category, but OSHA has way too few field personnel to worry about poop on a farm. You might videotape the offender relieving himself and call the Sheriff, having them arrested for indecent exposure. You may have to prepare for revenge after that though. I hope your original agreement was for limited, hopefully single, use. You might then have leverage to create a new agreement in which you could prohibit atrocities against your property if they want to lay another line. If not you have probably made a bad bargain from which I see no way to stop such contemptable actions. If you sued them and after much time won, they could go right back to their old ways, or worse on their very next visit. You have my sympathy.