Southwestern Bell Telephone, L.P. v. Harris County Toll Road Authority

A telephone company that was forced to relocate its facilities due to road construction demanded reimbursement from the county and its toll road authority. Neither our statutes nor our constitution, however, authorize the relief sought. Because the utility has no vested property right to relocation of its facilities at county expense, and because the Legislature has not waived the governmental entities’ immunity from suit, we affirm the court of appeals’ judgment.

I

Background

Southwestern Bell (“SBC”) provides local telephone service in Harris County and throughout Texas. SBC maintains…