Assistance with road

[PHowell_2003]

Jurisdiction

Texas

I have lived on a private road with 12 other neighbors for 23 years. There are pipelines running under our land. The oil company has been accessing our private road for at least 20 years to get to their pipelines. How do we approach the oil company to contribute to and maintain the private road?

 

[adjusterjack]

You call up the corporate executives and say "We would like you to contribute to the maintenance of the road."

However, before you do that, I suggest you read the original easement that allowed the oil company access via that road and see if there was any obligation for maintenance on the oil company's part.

 

[PHowell_2003]

You call up the corporate executives and say "We would like you to contribute to the maintenance of the road."

However, before you do that, I suggest you read the original easement that allowed the oil company access via that road and see if there was any obligation for maintenance on the oil company's part.

There is no original easement. Does that make a difference?

 

[adjusterjack]

There is no original easement. Does that make a difference?

You have to look at the county's recorded land records going back to when the property was first subdivided and move forward. Hard to imagine that the oil company didn't get a written easement.

Or, you can ask the oil company for it. If they can't produce it you and your neighbors are free to close the road to them until they agree to your maintenance requirements.

However, before you do that, understand you may be in for an expensive legal battle so you might want to consult an attorney. Maybe get your neighbors to chip in so everybody pays just a small amount buy an hour of a lawyer's time.