Texas Removal Fence Statute

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Suppose I purchased land in Texas and there was a barbed wire fence on the property line dividing my neighbor’s land and my own.  Could I remove or replace that boundary fence?  If I had fences on my property that attached to that boundary fence, would I be allowed to remove those adjoining fences? There is actually a Texas statute that provides requirements for a landowner seeking to remove certain fences on his or her own property.  The “Removal of Adjoining Fences” statute, Texas Agric. Code Sections 143.121-.123,… Read More →

September 14, 2018 Weekly Round Up

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As usual, things around here have been crazy.  I apologize for the lack of a Round Up post last Friday, but I spend most of my week on the road.  Last Tuesday, I was in Childless for an Extension wildlife meeting talking about hunting leases.  Then, on Friday I spoke at our Ranchers Leasing Workshop event in Bryan.  Saturday, I was able to speak at the Agricultural Economics Department Tailgate before the Texas A&M University football game.  Then, this Tuesday I made my way to Lubbock to speak… Read More →

Ag Law in the Field Podcast – Episodes 31-40

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The Ag Law in the Field Podcast continues to grow in popularity, so I wanted to share some info about the podcast and recap our most recent guests for those of you who have yet to join in the fun.  The Ag Law in the Field Podcast is basically me interviewing an ag lawyer each episode on a various ag law topic.  A person can listen on their smart phone’s podcast app, on iTunes, or on the computer at our website.  Listening is free and on-demand, so you… Read More →

USDA – 2018 Land Values Summary

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The USDA recently released their 2018 Land Values Summary, which reports average agricultural land values across the United States.  To view the report, click here. The report looks at the value of agricultural land across the country.  The broadest measure is the “farm real estate value,” which measures the value of all land and buildings on farms.  For 2018, the average farm real estate value of the United States was $3,140/acre, up $60/acre from last year.  For Texas, the average was $2,280/acre, a 9.1% increase from last year. … Read More →

August 31, 2018 Weekly Round Up

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Welcome to the end of August!  I’m not sure how the summer has already flown by, but here we are.  This week I was in Stephenville in Tuesday for an agricultural leasing and law program.  We had a great turnout, so welcome to those of you joining from that event. Here are some of the ag law stories in the news this week. * Appellate court reverses trial court decision in Lost Pines GCD date.  Earlier this year, a Bastrop County judge held that the Lost Pines GCD… Read More →

Court Upholds Finding of Easement by Estoppel

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A recent decision out of the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals addresses the requirements to prove an easement by estoppel and offers some good reminders for Texas landowners when dealing with access easements. Background This case involves a dispute over a road between two pieces of property, one owned by the Cores family and another by LaBorde Properties.  The road had been in place even before the Cores and LaBordes owned the land and was created to allow landlocked landowners with property south of the Cores’ land to… Read More →

August 24, 2018 Weekly Round Up

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Happy Friday!  This week I traveled to Paducah on Tuesday to present on hunting leases at the Cottle County Wildlife Conference.  Welcome to those of you joining from that meeting. Here are some of the ag law stories in the news. * 2015 WOTUS rule now in effect in 26 states, including Texas.  The legal wrangling over the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 WOTUS rule continues.  As you may recall, the EPA previously suspended the implementation of the rule until 2020, giving the agency time to promulgate and publish… Read More →

Questions from Tiffany’s Desk: What Documentation Should I Have for Hunters on My Property?

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Question:  I’m leasing out my land to hunters this year.  What type of documentation should I obtain from them? Answer:  This is a common question asked by Texas landowners.  They want to allow their friends, family, or the public to enter their property for activities like hunting, fishing, or swimming, but also want to protect themselves against liability.  I recommend three documents be signed by and collected from each person entering the property for a recreational use, such as hunting. Hunting Lease.  All landowners should require a hunting… Read More →

August 17, 2018 Weekly Round Up

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Hello there!  It’s been another busy week here on the High Plains!  On Wednesday, I gave a webinar for the Texas A&M University Think Tank committee on using blogs, podcasts, and social media in Extension programming and today I’m offering a webinar for the Houston County New Landowner’s Series on ag law.  This evening, I’m headed to San Angelo to speak tomorrow at the TAMU Sheep & Goat Expo.  Welcome to those of you joining us from these programs. Here are some of the ag law stories in… Read More →

2018 NASS US and State Cash Rent Survey Results Published

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August is here, which means that the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service has published its survey results showing average cash rental rates by state.  Next month, they will issue their report breaking this information down within each state by region and county.  Stay tuned for that information the second week of September. The 2018 NASS report offers average rental rates for irrigated cropland, non-irrigated cropland and pastureland across the country.  Lands used for haying or CRP are considered to be cropland, rather than pastureland.  The 2018 results are… Read More →