Practice area
Land and property disputes
Out here a fence line or a two-track road can matter as much as the house. I handle the disputes that come with owning, leasing and buying land.
I represent landowners, ranch families, landlords, tenants and buyers in disputes over access, boundaries, leases and title.
Many of these cases are between neighbors who will still be neighbors when it's over. I'll walk the property with you, pull the old surveys and deeds, and look for the answer that doesn't need a trial, while getting ready for one in case it does.
What these cases look like
Boundaries, roads and leases
The deed, the survey and forty years of habit don't always agree.
Access and easements
Roads and gates to pasture, water or a home site, and who has the right to use them.
Boundary and fence lines
Surveys that disagree, fences in the wrong place, and claims based on long use.
Commercial and farm leases
Unpaid rent, early terminations, grazing leases and returning property in the shape it was leased.
Clouded title
Clouded title, missing heirs on a deed, and quiet title actions to settle who owns what.
Purchase disputes
Undisclosed defects, failed closings and earnest money held after a sale falls through.
Water and drainage
Runoff, ditches and irrigation that a neighbor changed or blocked.
Property dispute questions
A neighbor put up a fence on what I think is my land. Should I tear it down?
No. Get a survey first and talk to a lawyer. Taking matters into your own hands can turn a strong case into a weak one.
We've used the road for decades. Does that give us a right to it?
It might. Long, open use can create a right of access in some cases, but the rules are specific and the facts matter. Bring whatever shows how long and how the road was used.
Can you help a landlord as well as a tenant?
Yes, in commercial and agricultural leases. I don't handle residential evictions.
Walk me through the property
Bring the deed, any survey and photos of the line or the road. A first call is free.