Dick Properties, LLC v. Paul H. Bowman Trust

Hill, J.:

This is a dispute between the owner of a tract of land and the owner of the mineral rights to that same tract. The landowner entered into a lease allowing a third party (the oil and gas lease operator) to dispose of saltwater deep beneath the surface of the real estate. The mineral rights owner objected, arguing anyone wishing to dispose of saltwater on the property must have the consent of both the landowner and the mineral rights owner. The district court disagreed and ruled that since the disposal of saltwater in this case in no way affects oil and gas production, the landowner…