Pipeline Company Seized Their Land and Left Them With a $383,000 Bill; Supreme Court to Weigh In
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case involving North Dakota rancher Leonard Hoffmann, whose land was seized by WBI Energy Transmission, a private pipeline company with eminent domain powers. The company offered about half the market value, leading to a lawsuit. A district court ruled the company must pay the plaintiffs' legal fees of approximately $383,375 under North Dakota law, but the 8th Circuit reversed, creating a split with four other circuits. The plaintiffs argue that federal law should not override state compensation rules, warning that millions of miles of pipelines nationwide could be affected. The case questions whether property owners can truly receive 'just compensation' if they must bear huge legal costs to enforce their rights.
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