Testamentary Trust
Preparing your estate plan, in particular a will or revocable living trust, allows you to give what you own, to whom you want, in the way you want them to receive it. Planning for the possibility of dying when your … Continue reading
Estate Planning in the Hill Country: What Every Landowner Needs to Know
Thomas Hall will be presenting at the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne on September 21, 2016. His presentation titled “Estate Planning in the Hill Country: What Every Landowner Needs to Know” will cover estate planning specific to rural landowners, including … Continue reading
The Benefits of Plateau Land Use Plans
By Craig Bowen, Former Account Manager for Plateau Land & Wildlife Management and Managing Partner for Plateau Land Group It is often said the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Plateau subscribes to this belief in the … Continue reading
The Advantages of 1033 Tax Exchanges
When a property is condemned, it is important for a landowner to understand the tax consequences of the compensation they receive. Landowners can defer paying taxes for compensation received from condemning authorities under IRS section 1033. Monies received through an … Continue reading
Rural Relationships – Domestic and Livestock Use of Surface Water
With the amount of rainfall we have had in recent months, many landowners are concerned about Domestic and Livestock use of surface water(“D&L Use”). Though a common practice on rural land, not all landowners understand their rights and obligations in relationship … Continue reading
Texas Statute Offers Limited Liability for Agritourism Activities When Certain Requirements are Met
Agritourism has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Agritourism involves a wide range of activities. Wine tourism, hayrides, Halloween corn mazes and pumpkin farms, pick-your-own fruit farms, and visits to working farms all constitute agritourism. Chapter 75A of the … Continue reading
Negotiating New Easements
Companies, through eminent domain laws, continue to threaten condemnation and “take” an easement from Texas landowners. Landowners and attorneys often focus just on the compensation and give little attention to the easement language. Easements give utility and pipeline companies the … Continue reading
Texas Ecological Laboratory: A Compelling Alternative For Rural Landowners Paying Market Value Property Taxes
Owning rural land in Texas can be an expensive endeavor, especially if the landowner is paying market value property taxes on their rural land. This occurs when landowners purchase a new property or inherit a property that doesn’t have an … Continue reading
Establishing Access to Land-Locked Property
The rural landscape of Texas is becoming more and more fragmented as ranches are split up and sold to third parties or divided among family members. One unintended consequence of this fragmentation is that inadvertently land-locked properties are on the … Continue reading
Estate Planning with Blended Families
It is estimated that about 65% of remarriages in America involve children, making them what we have come to call “blended families.” These families face unique challenges in planning how to protect loved ones and pass on assets to the … Continue reading