Find out what’s been happening in eminent domain news around Texas.
Border Issue: Gov. files condemnation lawsuits against landowners
Source: The Brownsville Herald
For the first time in years, the United States government has filed land condemnation cases against the owners of two properties in Cameron County.
In the past few weeks, federal attorneys filed two lawsuits seeking access to land south of the western edge of Brownsville and in the town of San Pedro.
The lawsuits state that Border Patrol is seeking access to the properties for the purposes of surveying, and testing for proposed construction of roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors and related structures for securing the border.
Judge delays pipeline lawsuit ruling
Source: Hays Free Press
A Travis County District Judge plans to take approximately two weeks before deciding the fate of litigation against Kinder Morgan and the Texas Railroad Commission.
That was announced [June 5] by Travis County District Judge Lora Livingston after two full days of testimony from both sides of a contentious lawsuit. That litigation, filed by multiple parties that include Kyle and Hays County, seeks more oversight on the pipeline routing process, but also aims to stop Kinder Morgan’s use of eminent domain proceedings for its Permian Highway Pipeline, a proposed 420-mile underground natural gas pipeline that could cut through the Hill Country.
High-speed rail route took land from farmers. The money they’re owed hasn’t arrived
Source: Los Angeles Times
John Diepersloot squinted under a bright Central Valley sun, pointing to the damage to his fruit orchard that came with the California bullet train.
He lost 70 acres of prime land. Rail contractors left mounds of rubble along his neat rows. Irrigation hoses are askew. A sophisticated canopy system for a kiwi field, supported by massive steel cables, was torn down.
But what really irritates Diepersloot is the $250,000 that he paid out of his own pocket for relocating wells, removing trees, building a road and other expenses.
“I am out a quarter-million bucks on infrastructure, and they haven’t paid a dime for a year,” he said. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
