Category Archives: Texas Supreme Court Decisions

Texas Supreme Court Issues Ruling in Denbury Green

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Although the Texas Supreme Court decision in Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas, LLC v. Texas Rice Land Partners, Ltd. has put an end to the litigation, there are a number of unanswered questions and potential issues that remain in the opinion’s aftermath.  [Read full opinion here.]  This case will continue to have serious impacts on landowners and pipeline companies dealing with the use of eminent domain in Texas. Factual Background When the Denbury Green Pipeline project planned to build a C02 pipeline from Missisippi to Brazoria and Galveston Counties in Texas,… Read More →

Texas Supreme Court Addresses Nuisance Law

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Last week, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in Crosstex North Texas Pipeline, L.P. v. Gardiner.  [Read full opinion here.]  In doing so, the Court took the much-needed opportunity to address and clarify the law of nuisance in Texas.  The 54-page opinion walks through a detailed discussion and analysis of nuisance law in Texas. Factual Background Crosstex operates a natural gas pipeline running from Tarrant County to Lamar County.  Along this route, in Denton County, Crosstex bought a 20 acre tract of land midway along the pipeline that… Read More →

Texas Supreme Court: Accommodation Doctrine Applies to Groundwater

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On May 27, 2016, the Texas Supreme Court issued its opinion in Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC v. City of Lubbock.  Many Texas agricultural and water law attorneys were in Lubbock attending the State Bar of Texas Agricultural Law Continuing Legal Education Seminar.  As soon as the opinion was released, you should have seen everyone scurrying around! This case (on which I have previously blogged here) is extremely important for Texas landowners and groundwater owners.  For the first time, the Texas Supreme Court announced that the accommodation doctrine, previously applied… Read More →

April 8, 2016 Weekly Round Up

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It has been a busy week around here!  On Monday, I was a co-presenter on a Right to farm webinar.  On Tuesday, I offered a water law webinar for Texas extension agents.  On Thursday night, I spoke on agricultural law hot topics to a great group in Denton.  And, finally, today I am giving three presentations at the Texas & Southwest Cattle Raisers Convention in Ft. Worth.  To all of you new faces joining the blog, welcome! * Right to farm webinar recording available.  If you missed the… Read More →

March 4, 2016 Weekly Round Up

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It’s been a busy week around here!  On Tuesday I spoke on surviving undercover video investigations at the High Plains Diary Conference in Lubbock.  It was a great turn out and I really enjoyed the chance to visit with folks about this topic.  Thanks to Ellen Jordan for the invitation.  On Thursday, I was in Abilene to speak with the Master Marketer class.  I appreciate Mark Welch inviting me to attend.  To those of you joining from these events, welcome! It has been a busy ag law week,… Read More →

BREAKING NEWS: TX and NM Supreme Court Rulings Impact Agriculture

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Well it turned into a busy week for ag law right at the last minute and after I posted the weekly round up.  Major actions from the Texas and New Mexico Supreme Courts that have major impacts on the agriculture industry in both states. First up, the Texas Supreme Court will NOT hear the appeal in Texas Farm Bureau v. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  This case arose during the drought of 2012 when there was a shortage of water on the Brazos River.  Dow Chemical had a 1942 water right… Read More →

What Constitutes Gross Negligence Under the Recreational Use Statute?

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The Texas Supreme Court recently analyzed an important question for Texas landowners:  What constitutes gross negligence under the Recreational Use Statute?  The court’s opinion in Suarez v. City of Texas City focuses on other issues such as governmental immunity as well, but also offers insight into how gross negligence is analyzed under the Recreational Use Statute. [Read full opinion here.] Legal Background As you may recall from this prior blog post, Texas has a Recreational Use Statute which essentially shields Texas landowners from liability if a person is injured on agricultural land while… Read More →

September 11, 2015 Weekly Round Up

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Here are a few of the major ag law stories in the news this week. * Texas Supreme Court Will Consider City of Lubbock v. Coyote Lake Ranch. Last Friday, the Texas Supreme Court granted Coyote Lake Ranch’s petition for review in this important water law case that asks whether the accommodation doctrine should be applied to groundwater.  Lower courts split on this issue, with the trial court issuing a preliminary injunction in favor of Coyote Lake Ranch, which was overruled by the Amarillo Court of Appeals, which held… Read More →

July 17, 2015 Weekly Round Up

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It’s time for another quick rundown of ag law stories in the news this week.  Enjoy! *  Texas Supreme Court Will Not Hear Appeal in Ecom USA, Inc. v. Clark.  This means that the Amarillo Court of Appeals opinion in the case–remanding the case to the trial court for more factual development on the question of whether an arbitration clause in a cotton contract was enforceable–will stand.  To read my analysis of the Court of Appeals’ opinion, click on this prior blog post. *  Tensions High Regarding Pipeline Project to… Read More →

Texas Supreme Court Finds for Royalty Owners in Hyder Case

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In June, the Texas Supreme Court issued a 5-4 opinion in a much-watched dispute between royalty owners and oil and gas producer, Chesapeake Exploration, LLC.   [Read full opinion here.] This case is extremely important for all Texas royalty and overriding royalty owners to be aware of as it illustrates contractual language sufficient to prevent the production company from deducting post-production costs from royalty payments, and that which is not sufficient to prevent such deductions.  There is a fine line between sufficient and insufficient language, which can have… Read More →