Many state and federal laws regarding land ownership can be complicated, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service course helps make the content more accessible to landowners.
Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know is an online course and handbook that covers key laws that may affect rural landowners and agricultural operations.
The online course combines practical tips and examples to help better explain important legal concepts that are included in the handbook authored by Lashmet. Topics include landowner liability, special use tax valuation, water law, fence law, eminent domain, agricultural leases, renewable energy leases, the Texas Right-to-Farm statue and more.
“Whether you have owned land for generations or are looking to purchase your first acre, this course is designed to provide practical and helpful information to make your experience in land ownership more enjoyable,” said Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist in Amarillo.
The self-paced course takes about 8.5 hours to complete.
The online course is available on AgriLife Learn. Participants can decide to take the entire course for a total cost of $150 or pay $20 for individual, shorter courses.
AgriLife Extension noted those who register online will have access to the program for two years.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the course was taught at various locations across the state each year. The in-person workshops are expected to resume this year. Those interested in finding a future in-person or online event to attend can visit Lashmet’s Upcoming Presentations webpage.
The handbook can be downloaded as a PDF, and a hard copy can be purchased by emailing lacrecia.garza@ag.tamu.edu.
For more information on landowner resources and information, visit Texas Farm Bureau’s Farm and Ranch Resources webpage.