The Question Should be “Am I Getting the Fairest Offer”

Think about it a Rod is a unit of measure of 16.5 feet. That is linear feet. When an easement is sought by negotiation or by eminent domain, they are not seeking a line. Typically, they are seeking a zone with the rod merely as the middle. For example, a rod with a 50′ easement zone requires 825 square feet. If an easement is 50 rods long, that is almost an acre.

In a recent case, a pipeline company paid some owners $180 per rod and others $767 per rod for the same project. The variance depended greatly upon the use of the property (residential vs. agricultural) and the ability of the owner to negotiate.

An Easement is a Forbidden Zone

The easement prevents you from using your property as you like or need to. For example, it can prevent you from planting trees, shrubs, or placing buildings. It can also forbid you from creating pond, lake or diverting drainage.

An Easement Prevents Development

Aside from normal operations, an easement may render your property unsuitable for certain types of development such as retail, operations expansion, wind farm or other opportunities.

What Will it Cost Them if I Refuse?

Don’t be afraid to say no!

If a company does not have the power of eminent domain, the cost is what is required to go around you?

Even a company with the power of eminent domain will face substantial expenses to obtain court intervention. And they still must pay you.

When and How Will the Easement Terminate?

Pipeline companies want a vague description of when and how an easement will terminate. Whenever possible, the owner should negotiate these terms.

Removal or Abandon in Place?

Easements often allow a company to abandon the pipeline in place. This gives the owner problems later. If the pipeline transported any hazardous materials the cost to remove may be very high.

    %MINIFYHTML90f57a7e797f1bcf3f9f329a735f0d1017%

Additional Resources: Texas Pipeline Easement Checklist

Navigator SMS Pipeline Project stretching from Calumet in Canadian County, through Kingfisher County and eventually finishing in Cushing in Logan County.  The paperwork describes this as phase 1.  The image is a preliminary plan showing the route.

As with most proposed easements there are onerous terms that can prevent the owner from building ponds, changing grade, planting trees or shrubs.  They also ask the owner to warranty title.  So far, materials have not claimed that Navigator has the right of eminent domain for this project.

As in all such cases, if an agreement is reached, there will be a one-time payment and no opportunity to re-negotiate the terms.

Don’t be Afraid to Say “NO” to the Initial Offer.

In a similar pipeline project, another company paid a range from $180 to $745 per rod with an average of a 50 foot easement. The price obtained depended upon the nature of the property and the negotiation skills of the landowner.

What if They Claim that My Property can be Taken by Eminent Domain?

Even if the company has the ability to to use Eminent Domain, you as the the landowner have the Constitutional Protection under the 5th Amendment for just compensation. Your property cannot be taken without compensation even if you are taken to court.

Often the initial offer is not the best deal in these types of situations.

What is the going price for a rod, Click Here?

How to Search for All Oklahoma Deeds

Unfortunately, Oklahoma does not have a central repository for searching for deeds.  Many counties records can be search no or low cost.   Most will charge a modest fee to print or view a document.  A few counties offer no search capabilities.

Legal Title Help

Searching for Oklahoma Land Records for Probate, Quiet Title or Research?

Here is a compilation of ways to search.  Some sites, like Oklahoma County are free to search and view.  Most sites allow free searches but require payment to view or print copies.  Others require a login.  Still others require payment to search or view.

Deed, Mortgage, Lease, and other Records:

See below:

Are you needing help with some title issue?

If there the county does not have the word “Search” beside it.  Then I have not discovered a way to search it.

Sixty-four counties are available through OkCountyRecords.  The counties highlighted in Green use a different system.  Those in red have no known system.  However, assessor sites may reveal surface ownership.

Garvin County County Clerk Lori Fulks (405) 238-2772 — Search

Grady County  (405) 224-7388 Search   Subscription Based

Oklahoma County —Search

Payne County —Search

Pontotoc County County Clerk Tammy Brown (580) 332-1425 — Search

Pottawatomie County— Search

Tulsa County Clerk Subscription based  Pre-Statehood to 1923

Wagoner County —Search

Woods County–(580) 327-0942

Woodward County County Clerk Wendy Dunlap (580) 256-3625 — Search

OIL and GAS Records Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Need to know which Wells are active in your area?  Check here.  Simple Search by Legal Description: 

Other data:  Mineral Interest Escrow Account Search

Oklahoma Well Data Data Base, Search by Well name, Location, Legal Etc.  Also Here

Oklahoma Tax Commission Production Records

OCC Unitization Records

AcreValue Website, Records of acreage sales by legal

Enter Legal Description to View on Google Earth

Oklahoma Unclaimed Property Search

Section Layout