Services
Pipeline Services
Project Development
Spring Creek Land Agents provide valuable insight and information to the pipeline project development. We build a valuable rapport with landowners which creates ease in acquiring any additional information for project development. Engineers, surveyors, title specialist, appraisers, environmental, construction and even executive management rely on the skills, integrity and professionalism of our agents to complete a successful and high quality pipeline project. Our agents are also skilled in obtaining all of the other acquisition needs which may occur during project development or construction such substation sites, additional access roads, communication sites and equipment storage yards.
Title Examinations
Determining who the proper owners are in the area where the pipeline will be built is one of the first tasks to be performed. Our title specialist sometimes spend months before acquisition begins determining surface ownership, legal descriptions, conveyances, mineral interests, oil leases and lease roads, current lease holders, encumbrances, title clouds, mortgages, liens, judgments and etc. This background information sometimes affects route selections. Our agents are skilled in working with manual and electronic courthouse records.
Appraisals
Before negotiations begin, land values must be determined to insure offers are fair market value for landowners and the procuring company. This is accomplished by obtaining a comparative market analysis for the proposed area to see what the current land values is whether it is agriculture, industrial, commercial or residential. Spring Creek Appraisers provide all the information needed to determine a fair market price to offer landowners for proposed Right-of-Ways.
Engineering Assistance
Although Spring Creek is not an engineering firm, we do work closely with and provide valuable assistance to our engineering partners. Our agents are experienced with the technical aspects of building a pipeline and by physically walking the entire proposed line, we can identify areas of concern which will lead to expensive and time consuming delays later on during the project. Our agents are also skilled in interpreting all different kinds of maps to assist engineers to make sound “on the ground” decisions. We provide all field work required by the engineers to create the proper route selection.
Right of Entry
When the selected route is determined and proper ownership is established land agents first meet with landowners to obtain Right of Entry agreements. This allows the client or project management access to preform preliminary studies needed such as; surveys, environmental studies, archaeological studies and etc.
Acquisition and Negotiations
Right-of-Way easements are acquired by negotiating settlements with landowners. Our highly skilled agents are usually first given predetermined budgetary limits given by the client. Agents are handpicked to best fit the project demographics. For example: agents raised in cities are not as effective working with farmers and ranchers and vice versa. All contact between landowners and or their attorneys is recorded daily and put into the permanent records. Agents meet with landowners whenever and wherever they are needed. Spring Creek agents use a more aggressive approach using advanced acquisition strategies to achieve maximum success for the client.
Construction Coordination and Damage Settlements
Upon the completion of the land acquisition phase of the project, agents are needed during the construction part of the project. Most times existing agents which have built good rapport with landowners stay and assist with this part of the project. Agents act as a liaison between the landowner and all construction contractors and subcontractors. Maintaining excellent relationships to both sides is crucial to final settlements of damages occurred to the land by construction. Our agents are extremely aware of the importance of fair and honest settlements and final sign offs by the landowners. Our aggressive strategies obtain a very high percentage of final landowner releases which saves our clients time and money.
