Transferring land within a family isn’t just a personal decision, it’s a legal transaction with long-term implications. Without the right structure in place, small oversights today can turn into expensive disputes down the road.
If your business depends on real estate, you’ve likely been handed a contract labeled a “standard agreement.” Maybe it’s a commercial lease, easement, vendor agreement, utility agreement, access license, telecommunications agreement, development contract, property management agreement, or construction contract. Regardless of the context, the message is usually the same.
A conservation easement protects your land in its natural state. Granting a conservation easement has significant economic benefits in the form of income and estate tax relief.
When a Texas landowner sells a ranch, a tract of raw land, or a commercial property, the person sitting across the closing table is often a very different kind of buyer than they expect. Developers, private investment groups, family offices, energy companies, and 1031 exchange buyers who do this for a living. They know exactly what they want, exactly what they will pay, and exactly which contract terms they need to protect themselves.
For Texas landowners, few things are more disruptive as receiving a notice that a high-voltage power line may soon cross your property. Whether it is a conventional transmission line or one of the massive new 765 kV transmission projects currently being developed across the state, the impact on your land’s value, aesthetics, and productivity can be permanent.
Renewable energy, data center, and similar large infrastructure projects can create opportunity for landowners, but only when decisions are made deliberately. The following is designed to help landowners evaluate readiness before signing a lease, option, or easement for wind, solar, battery storage, data centers, transmission, or hybrid energy projects.
Mother always said what a special piece of property [Little L Ranch] was,” says Sherry Walker. “She and Dad realized how beautiful and diversified it was, which is why they bought it just after he returned from his service during World War II – and why we’re working to preserve it for future generations.”
Condemnation is a structured legal process, and while it may feel one sided at times, landowners have defined rights. The challenge is that those rights are often misunderstood or exercised too late.
Across Texas, new 765 kV transmission line projects are moving through the approval process. These are some of the largest electric infrastructure projects in the state, requiring wide corridors and long term easements that can significantly impact private land.
Across Texas, new 765 kV transmission lines are moving from planning into execution. For landowners, the question is no longer if these projects are happening. It is what happens next and how it will affect your land.
Many of these projects are currently in the routing and approval phase through the Public Utility Commission of Texas. This is one of the most important stages for landowners. Once routes are finalized, the process shifts toward acquisition and potential condemnation. Knowing where projects are and how they progress is critical, but knowing how to respond is what ultimately protects your land. The scale of this expansion is unlike anything Texas landowners have seen in decades.
The Southeast Texas Area Reliability Project (SETEX) is currently one of the newest and largest high voltage transmission line projects approved to be built in Texas. Entergy Texas has received approval to construct a single circuit 500 kV transmission line stretching approximately 145 miles across Southeast Texas, passing through Jasper, Montgomery, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, and Walker counties.
Braun & Gresham, PLLC provides skilled legal counsel and practical advice for owners of property in Texas. We use traditional resources in innovative ways to help our clients protect and create new value in their land.
We delve into all things related to land in Texas, providing invaluable insights for landowners. Whether you’re a seasoned landowner or new to the field, “Your Texas Land” is your go-to resource for understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of owning land in the Lone Star State.
