Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 122: Listen and Learn -- Easements (Real Property)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently announced two important rules in two eminent domain opinions. Both cases involved pipeline access easements that the condemnor properly took under the Natural Gas Act....more
Our office routinely handles utility takings, which often involve partial takings of easements for transmission lines or pipelines. As governments attempt to improve the electrical grid to support the transportation of wind...more
A pipeline company condemning property of a governmental entity? That’s something you don’t see every day. Score a win for “big pipe” against “big government”. In Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 61 v. Magellan...more
Last week, a court called into question whether a condemnation by a gas utility was for a “public use,” even though the take was initiated by an entity that had the statutory authority to enter, condemn and appropriate land....more
On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by FERC under section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (“NGA”) authorizes a private company to exercise...more
Late last month, the Federal Courts issued two major rulings involving certificates of public convenience and necessity for natural gas pipelines issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. While a decision by the...more
The Texas Legislature recently approved five bills that will impact eminent domain matters throughout the state. HB 2730- HB 2730 was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 16, 2021, and goes into effect on January 1,...more
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that private utilities may exercise eminent domain to take state-owned property under the Natural Gas Act (NGA). The decision resolved an issue that could have blocked construction...more
On June 29, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided PennEast Pipeline Co. v. New Jersey, No. 19-1039, holding that the Federal Government had properly delegated to private companies federal authority to condemn necessary...more
The Supreme Court of the United States rarely hears anything related to eminent domain or takings cases; the Kelodecision in 2005 was the latest “big” case for our industry, although the 2019 Knick decision also made...more
A recurring theme in the area of eminent domain is so-called “stigma damages” caused by the construction of an improvement that may be thought to reduce the market value of a property. A common example is gas pipelines, which...more
The ET Rover Pipeline through Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania suffers yet another environmental accident. I have documented past problems with the construction of the ET Rover pipeline. Last week, yet...more
Has DTE withheld distribution of complete easements, including the exhibit containing the legal description of the encumbered property, in an attempt to hide the true impacts of the easements from homeowners? Last night, I...more
Therapist: “We’re here today in group to bring closure to the traumatic events of Crosstex North Texas Pipeline L.P. v. Gardiner. Each side claims mistreatment by his adversary and by one component or another of the civil...more