[ONEZ ST]

T Boone is on my s-list. The plan for his Texas Panhandle wind farm includes running tranmission lines through numerous counties, mine being one of them and my lease sits in the path.

Get this, the guy will pay 3 million for a 1.5 mw turbine then tries to get the easement right on your property for the equivalent of $1k an acre.

Needless to say most property owners have either rejected his offer, and generic one-sided contract, or signed the agreement after being offered $1.5k an acre.

At first I wasnt in the path of this runaway project until he decided to re-route the easement due to numerous rejections from neighboring land owners.

I'm all for renewable energy but dont stick a $1,000 check in front of my face with a one-sided contract that makes me liable for damage inflicted on transmission poles for unspecified reasons. Not to mention the contract fails to specify how deep and wide and high the easement needs to be.

I'm vented now.

[jim293]

While reading this they just showed his commercial on the tube and talking about this.

[pcfrisch]

3 million for TBoone, is like 3 cents to me.
Why dosen't he just take his billions and retire somewhere where he can no longer bother anyone.

[Amstung]

Originally Posted by pcfrisch

Why dosen't he just take his billions and retire somewhere where he can no longer bother anyone.

This guy singlehandedly bankrolled all that "Swift Boat" stuff against
John Kerry, AND he just weasled out of his promise to pay a million dollars to anyone who disproved those claims, and these were his own people!

T. Boone Pickens Says No Deal on Swift Boat Bounty - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog

[tripleblack]

EZ, watch your back.

Projects like this tend to switch from "private deals" to "iminent domain" when they hit problems.

You can tell Pickens "No", but your county government is tougher.

Hold out and see what happens would be my approach.

[shartley]

Yes, hold out for the best deal but I would not hold out for NO deal or you may not have a choice in the end.

What folks have to remember is that progress often times requires sacrifice and compromises. Do people think the highways and roads we drive on were always there and that if folks owned property (and even homes) that were once where the roads are now they always willingly (and happily) gave up the land? How about the power lines we use? Or the railroads? How about countless other things that we take advantage of and enjoy on a daily basis?

I know, it SUCKS when it is YOU that has to give a little. But it is as it is....

[ONEZ ST]

Originally Posted by tripleblack

EZ, watch your back.

Projects like this tend to switch from "private deals" to "iminent domain" when they hit problems.

You can tell Pickens "No", but your county government is tougher.

Hold out and see what happens would be my approach.

Property owners are well aware of the possibility that land could be condemned by eminient domain after fair market value is offered and refused and all good faith negotiations have failed. We havent reached that point at this early stage and I really dont think it will come to that. Should it come to that, there is always an appeal process in Texas courts and if the court finds that the local/county/state govt failed to negotiate in good faith the condemnation is reversed and the govt pays all attorneys fees and related costs.

The key problem I have issue with is the contract that I mentioned above.

I have wells that I lease due to the fact that I dont own the mineral rights on my own undeveloped land. The issue I'm facing is having to pay my lawyer to write a contract that protects these wells and field lines from being impacted by his project. I have little doubt that an agreement will be reached if his team cooperates.

[ONEZ ST]

Originally Posted by shartley

Yes, hold out for the best deal but I would not hold out for NO deal or you may not have a choice in the end.

What folks have to remember is that progress often times requires sacrifice and compromises. Do people think the highways and roads we drive on were always there and that if folks owned property (and even homes) that were once where the roads are now they always willingly (and happily) gave up the land? How about the power lines we use? Or the railroads? How about countless other things that we take advantage of and enjoy on a daily basis?

I know, it SUCKS when it is YOU that has to give a little. But it is as it is....

Compromise yes. Sacrafice no. I dont give anything away . . . even a little. If he needs land he will need to reach an amicable agreement.