LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MI (WNEM) -
A Fenton woman is calling foul on Enbridge, an oil pipeline company, claiming they have cut down trees without her permission.
Debora Hense owns property in Tyrone Township in Livingston County and claims Enbridge has failed to reach a necessary agreement to clear trees from property adjacent to an easement they have on her property.
Hense said Wednesday trees were cut on her land after she hired an attorney to tell the company to not proceed.
"We got a letter back from their big attorney's office that said, well, here's a check for $810, and we're going to go ahead and do what we want," Hense said.
And she said on Wednesday, she sat in a chair in front of some of her trees to stop them from cutting more of the trees down.
Enbridge project spokesperson Joe Martucci told TV5 the company is in the right, at least to work on the easement. He said in 1969, the company has had in place a "multiple line right easement."
This gives the company permission to upgrade or add new pipelines to suit public interest and need. In this case, they are working to replace 65 miles of pipeline in Livingston County that engineers deemed needed to be replaced.
"We did the very best to stay in the confines of where we were supposed to," Martucci said.
Martucci said Enbridge and the Henses have failed to come to agreements, but with the majority of property owners, there hasn't been a problem with the project.
As far as the trees cut on Hense's property, off the easement, Hense said they haven't reached an agreement and the company is in the wrong to cut down her trees.
"Basically, they have to make us happy with what the terms of the use of our property is going to be, they failed to do that," Hense said. "If anybody else did this, if you came on to my property and did this, you would be arrested and charged with trespassing."
Wednesday night, a Livingston County judge halted Enbridge's work on Hense's land. The judge issued a temporary restraining order against Enbridge, and lawyers for the Hense's said the case is due in court in September.
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