What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Know Before Signing a Pipeline AddendumWhen a pipeline company presents a Pipeline Right-of-Way Agreement, the landowner is often told the agreement is “standard.” In many respects, that is true. The agreement is usually a standard company-drafted form designed to protect the pipeline company—not the landowner. That is why one of the most important parts of any pipeline negotiation is the... Read more »
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Can a Pennsylvania Landowner Say No to a Pipeline Right-of-Way Agreement?When a pipeline company contacts a Pennsylvania landowner, the company representative may make the proposed agreement sound inevitable. The landowner may be told that the company needs the right-of-way, that the route has already been selected, that neighbors are signing, or that the company has the authority to proceed. That leads to one of the... Read more »
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How Much Should Pennsylvania Landowners Be Paid for a Pipeline Easement or Right-of-Way Agreement?When a pipeline company approaches a Pennsylvania landowner, one of the first questions is usually: How much should I be paid? That is the right question, but it is only the beginning. Pipeline easement compensation is not just about a price per foot, price per acre, or one-time payment. A pipeline agreement can affect a... Read more »
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PA Pipeline Temporary Easement & Work Space Agreements ExplainedWhen a pipeline company approaches a Pennsylvania landowner, most of the focus tends to be on the permanent easement—the strip of land where the pipeline will ultimately be buried. However, in many cases, the temporary easement area and work space rights may have an equal—or even greater—impact on the property. These areas are often significantly... Read more »
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What Pennsylvania Landowners Should Do Before Signing a Pipeline Option AgreementWhen a Pennsylvania landowner is approached by a gas or pipeline company, the paperwork is often described as a simple pipeline right-of-way agreement. But in many cases, that is not really what the company is offering. Very often, the document is actually a Pipeline Option Agreement. That distinction matters. A Pipeline Option Agreement is not... Read more »
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Pipeline Survey Requests in Pennsylvania: Do You Have to Allow Access to Your Property?Many Pennsylvania landowners first learn about a pipeline project when they receive a letter requesting permission to enter their property for a survey. These requests are often presented as routine—but they are not insignificant. Survey access is typically the first step toward a permanent pipeline easement, and how you respond can directly impact your rights,... Read more »
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Pipeline Easements in Pennsylvania: What Landowners Need to Know Before Signing AnythingIf you are a Pennsylvania landowner approached by a pipeline company, you may be told that signing a pipeline easement is routine—or even unavoidable. It is neither. Pipeline easements are binding legal agreements that permanently affect your property rights, land value, and future use of your land. Once signed, these agreements can last indefinitely and... Read more »
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Pennsylvania Pipeline Easements: What Landowners Must Know Before Signing in 2026By Douglas A. Clark, Esquire Pennsylvania Pipeline Attorney – Representing Landowners Only Introduction: Why Pipeline Easements Demand Careful Legal Review Pipeline companies across Pennsylvania continue expanding infrastructure for natural gas, liquids, and related energy transportation. With that expansion comes an increasing number of pipeline easement offers to landowners—often presented as routine agreements. They are not.... Read more »
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Understanding FERC’s Pipeline Certificate Process: What Every Pennsylvania Landowner Must KnowIntroduction: When a Pipeline Company Comes Knocking For many Pennsylvania landowners, the first contact with a natural gas pipeline company comes as a surprise. A letter arrives in the mail, a land agent appears at the door, or survey stakes suddenly show up along a property line. Often the landowner has no idea that a... Read more »
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Negotiating Gathering, Trunk and/or Transportation Pipeline Agreements – No Threat of Eminent Domain and CondemnationUnlike the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) interstate pipeline projects addressed in my last Blog, “Gathering”, “Trunk”, and “Transportation” Pipeline Agreements do not involve the threat of eminent domain and condemnation. It is critical that landowners understand that the vast majority of Pipeline Agreements presented to Pennsylvania landowners have no potential for eminent domain and condemnation. In fact, only a very small fraction of Pipeline Agreements carry the possibility of eminent domain and a "taking" by way of condemnation.
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