The Gattis Law Firm is representing landowners in eminent domain proceedings regarding a new $2 Billion natural gas pipeline that is expected to cut through the Texas Hill Country and deliver up to 2.0 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from the Permian Basin to the Texas Gulf Coast.  Construction on the project, a 42 inch pipeline stretching over 430 miles that starting in the Waha market area near Coyanosa, Texas and ending roughly 80 miles west of Houston in Colorado County, is expected to start  in the Fall of 2019.  The current proposed route is said to be only a “high level” proposal and Kinder Morgan Texas Pipeline (KMTP) expects modifications as they take a closer look.  See pipeline article in the Hays Free Press.

Landowners in Kimble, Gillespie, Blanco, and Hays Counties are expected to be impacted, among others, as the Permian Highway Pipeline Project project gets underway and concerns are growing by those who have been contacted by KMTP as part of eminent domain proceedings.  Landowners are sometimes surprised that for profit companies have the power to take their land through the government process of eminent domain in the State of Texas.  Most often landowners will be contacted by land agents working for the pipeline company to try and work out compensation and easement terms for the 50 foot wide easement that will impact their land in perpetuity.  “While the compensation aspect of the transaction most often gets the bulk of the attention, the terms of the easement that will govern the use of the land from now to eternity is probably the most important aspect of the negotiations” said Dan Gattis with the Gattis Law Firm.

“The pipeline companies have large teams of lawyers representing them in these transactions with the sole purpose of negotiating the best terms and the lowest cost for the pipeline companies.  Landowners need to contact experienced, competent counsel to advise them through this process as the terms of the agreements will affect the land for generations to come and the only money they will receive will most often be a one time lump sum payment.”