Is there more to this pipeline story?

[stevieray54]

Wouldn't you think the oil company would have checked for utilities and the septic situation long in advance, i mean what if a major underground power source would of run across it do they just dig it up.
I think those chickens well outsmarted those fat cat oil boys

[Moose]

I can't believe they'd actually run a pipeline that big close enough to a dwelling to hit the septic lines-

[Tejas Wildlife]

Like I said, you don't know what you are talking about

Work on pipeline ROW's every day and have easements on my property as well. I think I'd keep my pets penned up during construction activities. Yes, cattle sometimes fall into ditches and bell holes and yes, they die but I've been on jobs where we had to put up protective WIRE fencing, not the orange plastic fencing in order to protect livestock. Yea, the construction part is a pain in the rear I agree but you do have a say in the routing in a lot of cases. Did you think about these things during negotiations? Might have prevented the loss of a pet.

The oil location is on the property PAST ours. The easement is THROUGH our ranch. Pumper & other traffic runs 24/7 and NO, it isn't easy to put pets up! One of the pumpers hit a 3 year old racehorse coming down the easement at over 50 mph. Posted speed limit signs are 10 mph. I now park a 30 ft gooseneck trailer across the road when some racecar driver goes to the location..........because he HAS TO stop & talk to me to get back out. 1 way in, 1 way out. I am 6'3" & 300 pounds. Most of the time I get my point across when I ask politely to SLOW DOWN. I also take a camera with me, photograph their license plate & their face. A couple of times a month I call the operating company to complement them on a driver driving carefully. We get ZERO money from their usage of the easement. Paid to a previous owner.

OK, I think I made my point. In THIS SITUATION, you don't know chit about the problems I have with oilfield traffic crossing MY LAND. And perhaps the folks who were described in the article are in the same boat.

[The Crippler]

The oil location is on the property PAST ours. The easement is THROUGH our ranch. Pumper & other traffic runs 24/7 and NO, it isn't easy to put pets up! One of the pumpers hit a 3 year old racehorse coming down the easement at over 50 mph. Posted speed limit signs are 10 mph. I now park a 30 ft gooseneck trailer across the road when some racecar driver goes to the location..........because he HAS TO stop & talk to me to get back out. 1 way in, 1 way out. I am 6'3" & 300 pounds. Most of the time I get my point across when I ask politely to SLOW DOWN. I also take a camera with me, photograph their license plate & their face. A couple of times a month I call the operating company to complement them on a driver driving carefully. We get ZERO money from their usage of the easement. Paid to a previous owner.

OK, I think I made my point. In THIS SITUATION, you don't know chit about the problems I have with oilfield traffic crossing MY LAND. And perhaps the folks who were described in the article are in the same boat.

Easements were listed on the title policy when you bought your land, the company owns the easement and you're chit out of luck. Amazing how many people buy a property without realizing they don't own all the legal rights to it. If the easements weren't listed on your policy, sue the chit out of your title company!

[dawgkllr]

Wouldn't you think the oil company would have checked for utilities and the septic situation long in advance, i mean what if a major underground power source would of run across it do they just dig it up.
I think those chickens well outsmarted those fat cat oil boys

You can bet the oil company checked for existing utilities beforehand which is typical. The only way to check for a septic system would be for the property owner to divulge this information BEFOREHAND. Yea, you have to get a permit for a septic system (well, your supposed to anyway ) but that isn't required to be placed in a dedicated easement. Either the property owner didn't know where their septic system was or they intentionally failed to divulge this information to the oil company thinking they were going to get a new system out of the deal when it was torn up.
400 grand ain't spit to that oil company in the grand scheme of things. Heck, their insurance company is probably the ones who paid the bill. Those "chickens" are the ones standing around with egg on their face whining wanting more and more, thinking they're gonna get it. Just like thousands of others who milk the government (and taxpayers) for everything they can get these chickens think they got themselves a cash cow with a teat that never runs dry. They're not even good actors!

[dawgkllr]

The oil location is on the property PAST ours. The easement is THROUGH our ranch. Pumper & other traffic runs 24/7 and NO, it isn't easy to put pets up! One of the pumpers hit a 3 year old racehorse coming down the easement at over 50 mph. Posted speed limit signs are 10 mph. I now park a 30 ft gooseneck trailer across the road when some racecar driver goes to the location..........because he HAS TO stop & talk to me to get back out. 1 way in, 1 way out. I am 6'3" & 300 pounds. Most of the time I get my point across when I ask politely to SLOW DOWN. I also take a camera with me, photograph their license plate & their face. A couple of times a month I call the operating company to complement them on a driver driving carefully. We get ZERO money from their usage of the easement. Paid to a previous owner.

OK, I think I made my point. In THIS SITUATION, you don't know chit about the problems I have with oilfield traffic crossing MY LAND. And perhaps the folks who were described in the article are in the same boat.

First off, I'm sorry for the loss of your horse. I agree that there are a lot of idiot drivers on access roads just like there is a lot of idiot drivers on public roads. Neither have any business driving in such a manner. I would have asked to be compensated for the loss of the horse which I'm sure any court would have validated your request if it went that far. Ever thought about asking the oil company to put some speed humps in along the road?
Contrary to your belief, I do know about problems you and others like you have with oilfield crews driving across YOUR land while on THEIR easement. I deal with it all the time with my crews working on pipeline ROW's. I would either fence it off to keep my livestock away from the road or keep on getting paid for every one that they kill or injure by driving unsafe. The other solution is to sell and buy land where you own the minerals and there is nor existing ROW's. That thing about blocking their ingress/ egress could also come back on you when they send you a bill for delays (time is money ya know) or should an accident occur I'm fairly certain a court would rule in favor of the injured party for your blocking the road (not a lawyer just armchair quarterbacking here)

[Slew]

Every time I hear black mold all I think about is money grab. Guess that comes from several years of baby killing black mold claims. I have no doubt it affects people but its a racket.

[Tbar]

How exactly did the house flood? If they saw the field lines ripped out of the ground and keep using the system what exactly did they expect to happen...........???

[Digitalhunter]

They knew where the septic system was at and saw from the route map that the pipeline would go right through their drainage lines. That is when I would probably have spent a little of the easement money they were or would be getting and re-routed the drainage lines. Especially if I was selling that path for a pipeline easement. Or negotiate to get the contractors to do it.

From the article....................

In 2010, the first land agent came to the Collinses’ house to secure their property for the pipeline easement. The Collinses were pleased to hear a pipeline was coming through because, aside from all the usual arguments about boosting North American energy independence, it meant easy money. In the early negotiations, J.B. tried to sell TransCanada more land for temporary work space. As they sat around the kitchen table, the agent showed them the pipeline route.

And that’s when they saw it: The route crossed right through their septic system. When they brought this up, Lori says, the agent said there was nothing they could do. That was the way the engineers had laid the route, and no one could change it. “But [the agent] promised that anything they tore up in that right of way, they would come out and fix it bigger and better,” Lori said.

[sectxag06]

this could have been solved very easily. sure the construction crews should have fixed it immediately. but, i can flat guarantee you that if she had called up Transcanada and demanded to speak to someone it would have been fixed.

[Killer]

How anybody could read this and say that the landowner was greedy is beyond me. The only thing i do not know is if the original $70,000 covered the owner of the land relocating the sewer line. It never says it did in the article so I assume it did not. Business 101 is if you dig it up you fix it Period!!It seems like a bad design from the start if it is that close to the house.
And yes there is always more to the story than is being told im sure.

[Tejas Wildlife]

OK guys I am out.

First off, I'm sorry for the loss of your horse. I agree that there are a lot of idiot drivers on access roads just like there is a lot of idiot drivers on public roads. Neither have any business driving in such a manner. I would have asked to be compensated for the loss of the horse which I'm sure any court would have validated your request if it went that far. Ever thought about asking the oil company to put some speed humps in along the road?
Contrary to your belief, I do know about problems you and others like you have with oilfield crews driving across YOUR land while on THEIR easement. I deal with it all the time with my crews working on pipeline ROW's. I would either fence it off to keep my livestock away from the road or keep on getting paid for every one that they kill or injure by driving unsafe. The other solution is to sell and buy land where you own the minerals and there is nor existing ROW's. That thing about blocking their ingress/ egress could also come back on you when they send you a bill for delays (time is money ya know) or should an accident occur I'm fairly certain a court would rule in favor of the injured party for your blocking the road (not a lawyer just armchair quarterbacking here)

Would love to spend time around a firepit with you someday buddy. We have different opinions on experiences we have experienced first hand. No worries. Glad to hear you are a GOOD Oilfield guy. There's lots out there. I work offshore & oil pays my bills. It's all good.

Adios.

[dawgkllr]

Texas Wildlife I would enjoy that! Everyone has their own opinions and that's one of the things that makes this a great site. We can all butt heads, kick dirt in the air, paw the ground like a buncha ruttin Bulls then go share a campfire together and enjoy each other's company.