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OT - Natural Gas line - right of way

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Just wanting to get opinions on something I've got going on with my property and neighbors. The neighbor has a pretty large drying operation for his crops. This year is really put a hurting on him with LP, from cost and availability. He wants to get a natural gas line ran to his property. Gas company is going to run the gas line from the main line to his property, about 6000 ft long. He needs to get right of way across my property for about 2000 of those feet. Bonus is they will install a meter for my house and garage for nothing. Sounds like a good deal, to get off of LP for myself also. Is there anything I should be leary of providing right of way for this? Or a reason I would not want to get off of LP?

Thanks,
Mike
 
No reason to refuse at all. We converted to NG several years ago, started with just the water heater, now everything including furnace.
 
(quoted from post at 01:43:50 03/20/14) Just wanting to get opinions on something I've got going on with my property and neighbors. The neighbor has a pretty large drying operation for his crops. This year is really put a hurting on him with LP, from cost and availability. He wants to get a natural gas line ran to his property. Gas company is going to run the gas line from the main line to his property, about 6000 ft long. He needs to get right of way across my property for about 2000 of those feet. Bonus is they will install a meter for my house and garage for nothing. Sounds like a good deal, to get off of LP for myself also. Is there anything I should be leary of providing right of way for this? Or a reason I would not want to get off of LP?

Thanks,


Mike
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Sounds pretty good to me. Only downside I can think of is might make it easier for a subdivision in the future.

Tim
 
Make sure about the depth, there is not really a standard. You want it deep enough you will not work it up, too deep and you stir up the dead soil on the top.

I would think it is an advantage unless you find something wrong.
 
The only thing we added to the agreement when they crossed my dad's property was the gas company "was liable for crop damage" for repairs to pipe. Keeps 'em from drivin all over your fields....
 

Get a good lawyer...its too important not to. Cover all your bases. I'm sure that whatever it costs you it will be worth it in the long run.
All the comments you get on here from experience are good too.
 
I would just want them close to fence lines, property lines etc, just not across the the field that might be a subdivision when it is time to retire:) I would do it today if I could get that deal(NG line is two miles away from me)
 
(quoted from post at 20:43:50 03/19/14) Just wanting to get opinions on something I've got going on with my property and neighbors. The neighbor has a pretty large drying operation for his crops. This year is really put a hurting on him with LP, from cost and availability. He wants to get a natural gas line ran to his property. Gas company is going to run the gas line from the main line to his property, about 6000 ft long. He needs to get right of way across my property for about 2000 of those feet. Bonus is they will install a meter for my house and garage for nothing. Sounds like a good deal, to get off of LP for myself also. Is there anything I should be leary of providing right of way for this? Or a reason I would not want to get off of LP?

Thanks,
Mike
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Go for it. I converted a house I bought from LP to NG last Fall. No neighbors downstream wanted it so I foot the 400+' cost ($8k) to extend the main line just far enough to get to my house. That 6000 ft extension of your neighbor's has got to be close to six figures. You hooking up for free is phenomenal. You'll save a bundle on fuel costs, no messing with tanks, fill schedules, etc. Good luck.
 
" they will install a meter for house/garage for free" ...how bout the cost for running pipe to your house from main line?? Meters are cheap, running line..not so much. We had a chance a few yrs back to sigh up with neighbors to get main down our mile. Best thing we ever did. Cheap and burns so much cleaner even than lpg. Do it.
 

make sure that they do a good job of compacting while back-filling so that you don't end up with a depression the length of it. They should fill in one foot lifts.
 
You won't miss LPG, a NG hookup should increase your resale value. Check that the hookup has enough capacity to meet your future expansion plans: shop, crop dryer, heated livestock buildings, etc.

Change your furnaces, water heaters and LPG appliances to NG as soon as it's practical. Convert electric appliances over as they need replacement.
 
The Biggie here is to make sure that they install the line deep enough that you will not hit it if you ever do any deep ripping and make dead sure that it is marked where it enters your land and where it leaves . I doubt that it will be much bigger then a 4 inch and more then likely it will be plastic . Myself i would want it to be four foot to the top of the pipe . They will whine and complain as they are great at being 24 inches deep .
 
They will have access to that piece of ground and so many feet on each side of the line any time they see the need . You also can't build within so many feet of line Which means its good for farming only.I don't know where you live but here if the line come across yor property and is with in so feet of your house they had to hook you up no at charge.
 
Where are they putting your free meter? I looked at one farm with a natural gas line running across. The meter was over 1000 feet from the house. The gas company is only responsible for pipes up to the meter. From the meter to the house is the property owners responsibility. Depending on where the meter is it could be pretty costly to hook up to.
 
(quoted from post at 00:43:50 03/20/14) Just wanting to get opinions on something I've got going on with my property and neighbors. The neighbor has a pretty large drying operation for his crops. This year is really put a hurting on him with LP, from cost and availability. He wants to get a natural gas line ran to his property. Gas company is going to run the gas line from the main line to his property, about 6000 ft long. He needs to get right of way across my property for about 2000 of those feet. Bonus is they will install a meter for my house and garage for nothing. Sounds like a good deal, to get off of LP for myself also. Is there anything I should be leary of providing right of way for this? Or a reason I would not want to get off of LP?

Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...
You need to talk to a lawyer about the width and location of the easement. You'll likely want the easement adjacent to the public road R.O.W.
Is there an existing utility easement for power lines? If so they may be able to use that easement.

Them hooking you up for free is no big deal. They usually run the service from the main to the meter at the house for free. Sometimes there is a tap fee, but it's usually free.
 
In our area the gas company is moving the meters right up next to the house. Couple of years ago our line developed a leak in my yard. When they checked it out they just came in and moved my meter from the back of my lot up to the back of my house no charge. I guess they pushed plastic up through my original line. OK with me, now they can maintain the line all the way up to my house.
 
Of course you are renting the right of way to them at the going rate for gas in amount you use.
And you retain the right to farm the ground.
And if they rip up the crops beyond the reasonable they pay for it and will straighten out the ground when it is disturbed.
RIGHT?
 
A 2,000 ft line will be a big intrusion on your property I have a place that has a gas large gas line run thru it and it can be a hassle and it will lower the value of your property if you decide to sell.I bought the place for alot less than other places around it for that reason.If you can have them locate the line near your property line and not thru your place and once you get the agreement get a lawyer
that is familar with right-of-way law to look it
over.Personally I wouldn't do it.
 
(quoted from post at 19:18:20 03/19/14) They will have access to that piece of ground and so many feet on each side of the line any time they see the need . You also can't build within so many feet of line Which means its good for farming only.I don't know where you live but here if the line come across yor property and is with in so feet of your house they had to hook you up no at charge.
Click to expand...

You are right on the money with your comments. Also where I live you can't build within 50 feet of a gas line, so that effectively means that you are giving away property for future sale. Around here 50' x 2000' translates to a couple of acres anyway.
 
(quoted from post at 08:07:21 03/20/14)
(quoted from post at 19:18:20 03/19/14) They will have access to that piece of ground and so many feet on each side of the line any time they see the need . You also can't build within so many feet of line Which means its good for farming only.I don't know where you live but here if the line come across yor property and is with in so feet of your house they had to hook you up no at charge.
Click to expand...

You are right on the money with your comments. Also where I live you can't build within 50 feet of a gas line, so that effectively means that you are giving away property for future sale. Around here 50' x 2000' translates to a couple of acres anyway.
Click to expand...

Having NG in the country is a BIG plus, probably offset any drop in value due to the easement. As for not being able to build near it, if the OP is thinking about developing the property, an architect would have no trouble designing whatever is allowed by zoning to avoid the gas line. Heck every subdivision in the burbs has a main gas line running through it without a problem. As for any disturbance of the ground, they don't trench nowadays, they bore/pull the line. The main extension Semco Energy did to get to my property is invisible (bored). The only evidence is the disturbed earth where they tapped into the existing line and where they terminated it in front of my house. I CAN see where they pulled the line on my property to the house because of the tracks of the machine and a "cut" in the sod. No trenching or even a depression in the ground.
 
A gas line went through my property a few years ago.It's basically like selling the land.You loose control over that property with a easement,can't build on or dig around.They can come on tour propert day or night without your permission to install extra hook ups for other customers.They cut tile on my place and didn't repair them.The crops take severl years to recover over the tile trench.They bring up rocks to pick up around here.They tore up crops several times to install connectors,then the ground has to settle and will grow nothing for a while.On mine the lawyer says they can claim emmenint domain and come through my property without my consent.
 
As for any disturbance of the ground, they don't trench nowadays, they bore/pull the line. The main extension Semco Energy did to get to my property is invisible (bored). The only evidence is the disturbed earth where they tapped into the existing line and where they terminated it in front of my house. I CAN see where they pulled the line on my property to the house because of the tracks of the machine and a "cut" in the sod. No trenching or even a depression in the ground.
Click to expand...
There's a highway widening project going on a half mile from my house. To facilitate the wider road they are installing a new gas main. They are boring where they cross driveways, lawns and parking lots. They're trenching the fields.
 
If they come across farm land they will not bore they will trench. The price of trenching is cheaper than boreing and they don't care about looks on farm ground but do bore in around yards and if they have driveways to contend with.
 
I see many replies say to replace appliances ?
All you need to do is change an orifice to go from LP to NG or vice versa.
 
" change an orfice". Some things can"t be changed, then regulators (any installed & where),gas valve regulators (springs),pilot assemblies, then the biggie--piping. Whats there now and sized for ??
 
(quoted from post at 12:00:56 03/20/14) " change an orfice". Some things can"t be changed, then regulators (any installed & where),gas valve regulators (springs),pilot assemblies, then the biggie--piping. Whats there now and sized for ??
Click to expand...
.....and while copper is common with propane, it is a definite no, no for natural gas.
 
You really want that easement looked over very closely. Here, the FEC easement has a real "gotcha" in it as far as I am concerned! The way it reads, when I give easement for power to my home, that automatically gives them the right to run lines anywhere across any part of my farm, to service anyone bordering or beyond my property. Incredibly broad!!!!
 
Around here the distance starts at the edge of easement. We had a company come through wanting to put in a main line few years back and got them stopped. Because of the lay out of farm and the direction they wanted to cross farm (caddy corner) it would screw up a lot of ground if wanting to build on it. Where I have my house built would have not been possible if they would have went through.
 
I can't determine if you're saying that the gas company will provide you free gas in perpetuity or if it will just waive your connection fee. If it's free gas for life, jump on it. Just try to have some input where the line runs so it won't be in your way.
 
You might want to do a little more digging into the reason for this ????line.We can't get Nat.gas hookups if our lives depended on it.Neighbor unhooked to built a new house and now can't get the line(meter) hooked back up,so had to go to LP.Something sounds very FISHY with this deal.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone. Here are a few more specifics, but it all sounds pretty good. This land will not be developed, but will be farmed. They have told me it will be down 4". Right-of-way is limited to 10" in width, centered upon the pipeline. They are going to follow the power company lines, which already have easement. My benefit is free hookup, not free gas. They will run the line directly up to my house and my utility shop.
 
Some of the comments are here are just astounding. Right now, folks here in Michigan are paying upwards of four grand to get hooked up to natural gas. The way I see it, that gas hook up is worth at least three grand, maybe more if you're a long distance from the main. How often does someone come along and offer to write you a check for three thousand dollars? Converting to gas will save you thousands of dollars over the next few years, and all you have to do (other than switch your house over) is to agree to help out your neighbor. Unless you really don't like the guy, and are willing to hurt yourself just to spite him, I don't understand why you would say "no".

Guys, this is not a 24 inch pipeline we're talking about! I doubt they'll even bother digging a trench. And although Mike said "right of way", I seriously doubt they are asking for a 100 foot wide deeded easement. If you want gas, you have to have a line run on to your property; that's the way it works!

As for appliance conversions, sometimes it makes sense to buy new, sometimes not. Your furnace should really be converted and adjusted by someone who knows what they're doing. Although the water heater can be converted, if it's over a few years old you might as well replace it. Conversion of a gas dryer is very simple and you can do it yourself. I've never done a range so I can't say, but I don't think it's a big deal. Assuming you have at least 1/2" pipe inside your house, you shouldn't need to replumb the house.
 
With everyone going to 'cheap' Natural Gas its only a matter of time until its the most expensive fuel to heat with.Having a 2000FT easement across ones farm is a big deal and can lead to lots of problems.
 
(quoted from post at 01:15:02 03/21/14) Thanks for all the replies everyone. Here are a few more specifics, but it all sounds pretty good. This land will not be developed, but will be farmed. They have told me it will be down 4". Right-of-way is limited to 10" in width, centered upon the pipeline. They are going to follow the power company lines, which already have easement. My benefit is free hookup, not free gas. They will run the line directly up to my house and my utility shop.
Click to expand...

That free hook up may be something they do for everyone. When we were building houses we were never charged for the service line or a hook up fee. I've also built room additions where the gas company had to relocate the meter and run a new service. Never had to pay for that either.
You still need to talk to a lawyer. They may be able to use the existing utility easement.

Despite what some think, they do trench when putting in the main across crop land so you can expect rocks in your field.
 
>With everyone going to 'cheap' Natural Gas its only a matter of time until its the most expensive fuel to heat with.

Really.
More expensive than propane, most of which is refined from natural gas?
More expensive than electricity, much of which is generated from natural gas?
More expensive than fuel oil, which will always be in high demand for highway use?
I'd like to hear from JUST ONE person who switched from propane to natural gas, then switched back to propane.
Meanwhile, enough natural gas is being flared in North Dakota to heat thousands of home.

As for the easement, if you read Mike's last post you'll see that's a non-issue: they're going through an existing power line easement.
 
Some trench,some plow it just depends on weather,terrain,distance,size,etc.Depth on ag is"supposed to be" 4 feet if they are following the code.despite what others have said here some of us care about our work and do our level best to restore your property to original.
 

I bought a used commercial range for my church last year. I had to convert it from natural to propane. They sold me the kit for about $5.00 and I did it myself.
 
(quoted from post at 21:16:53 03/20/14) Some of the comments are here are just astounding. Right now, folks here in Michigan are paying upwards of four grand to get hooked up to natural gas. The way I see it, that gas hook up is worth at least three grand, maybe more if you're a long distance from the main. How often does someone come along and offer to write you a check for three thousand dollars? Converting to gas will save you thousands of dollars over the next few years, and all you have to do (other than switch your house over) is to agree to help out your neighbor. Unless you really don't like the guy, and are willing to hurt yourself just to spite him, I don't understand why you would say "no".

Guys, this is not a 24 inch pipeline we're talking about! I doubt they'll even bother digging a trench. And although Mike said "right of way", I seriously doubt they are asking for a 100 foot wide deeded easement. If you want gas, you have to have a line run on to your property; that's the way it works!

As for appliance conversions, sometimes it makes sense to buy new, sometimes not. [b:c1b5ab23a1]Your furnace should really be converted and adjusted by someone who knows what they're doing. Although the water heater can be converted, if it's over a few years old you might as well replace it. Conversion of a gas dryer is very simple and you can do it yourself. I've never done a range so I can't say, but I don't think it's a big deal. [/b:c1b5ab23a1] Assuming you have at least 1/2" pipe inside your house, you shouldn't need to replumb the house.
Click to expand...

Mark,
I did my own furnace, changed the orifice ($5 worth of parts, size easily determined from the mfr install manual), readjusted the manifold pressure with a manometer (again per the specs in the install manual). The 2nd part may be a little more than an avg homeowner but not rocket science. Range was simple, flip the orifice from LP to NG as most gas stoves are sold for both, adjust the pilot flame (if you've got one). Again this was all documented in the Stove install manual.

As for a posted comment that copper is a no-no with NG, this statement is no longer valid in many places. The problem was amount of a corrosive additive and most suppliers say that copper is fine with their NG product nowadays. Check with your NG supplier.
 
>I did my own furnace....

JML, you're right that this is not particularly difficult. My concern is that the typical homeowner doesn't know what a manometer is or how to use one. Rather than buy or make a manometer, the homeowner is more likely to skip that step, which is definitely not a good idea.

I wasn't so concerned about the use of copper tubing but that it might be undersized. 3/8" copper might be OK for appliances running propane, but not natural gas.
 
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