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northeastern Ohio | Steve,
I understand your way of thinking on this pipeline, because I thought that way too. But I've learned that no matter how much "evidence" you show these pipeline reps, it doesn't make a bit of difference to them.
Their goal is to pay as little as possible and to get as much as possible. Your job as the landowner is to ask for as much as possible and get paid as much as possible. They have seen all the "evidence" before. They know how much damage is done and they know the damage lasts for years. They know that if they keep working on the landowners, one will eventually give up and sign. Its a game to the ROW agents.
I just finished a claim against a pipeline company for 2013 damages. They wanted me to sign a waiver in order to receive the check. The waiver would release them from ALL future damages. I would not sign. They would not give me the check. I told them I'd see them in court. A few days later they came back with the check.
My advise: If land is worth $10k per acre in your area, ask for $20k for the ROW plus initial damages to be paid before construction begins. Remember that you will never be able to build anything in that 50' ROW and probably would not want to build anything within 100' of it anyhow. Forever. And crops will always yield less over the construction area. Forever. And you will continue to pay the same taxes every year on those acres as you do on your good acres.
Sorry for the doom and gloom. I just don't want you to waste too much time or energy digging up information that really has no leveraging power. You can show them pictures of the damage. You can show them yield maps of before and after. They will say: that was in a different area, by a different company, using a different reclamation method. They will say: That was 10, 20, 30 years ago. Our techniques are much improved now. They will say: Don't worry, we pay for all damages.... (they won't say: if you can prove that we caused them). | |
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Anyone have pipeline aerial photos?
