Want to buy abandoned railroad ground. Please help!!!?

Question

I have been trying to purchase some ground from Burlington Northern and keep getting the runaround. Does anyone have experience dealing with them or know who I should talk to?

Answer 1

What was the land previously used for? If it was a maintenance yard, then run. There could be environmental issues which you would be your responsibility once you signed your name on the papers.

Answer 2

Step One is to go to the county assessors office and identify the property.  It is usually in several segments along the old route.

Second is to go to the state department of transportation with the ID and as them to tell you if there are any encumberances against the property due to liens or lawsuits.  

Third determine from the US environmental department if it is on the SuperFund List to be cleaned up

Fourth go again to the local government and see if there is a local use plan that includes that piece of property.

Once you get to this point you will have spent at least 100 to 250 hours looking at all the documentation on the property.

If after all this you find that it is a free and clear property then you need to go to the RR to their realestate department to see if it is their plan to be disposed of.  If it is then ask to be put on their notification list as all property owned by RR's needs to be sold by reserve auction.

Almost all RR land was given to the RR's with government grants over a century ago.  Because of this many states have laws that require the property to be deeded back to the city or county upon completion of use.  Also, many RR's are convertingthe use to appartments or major developments that include malls etc.

Answer 3

Get a lawyer.  You need to find out if the railroad owns the land or simply has a lease.  If they have a lease, don't pursue it.  If they own you still need a lawyer, it can get very messy dealing with a R.R.

Answer 4

Your local government may be trying to get the land too, to as part of the "rail bank" program, that lets them make a bike-path or park out of it.  The right-of-way may also be leased to a pipeline or cable company, so that they can run their conduits underground, so that lease or agreement may also impede your purchase.  A lawyer who can check up on all this may be your best bet.

Answer 5

Unforseen danger ahead, here.  Keep in mind the nature of the beast, having leaked fuel, oil, grease, coolant and/or other contaminants on the ground.  You may be able to purchase the land, but the EPA mandated clean up is probably part of the deal.  Mucho $$$.

Answer 6

They are based in Fort Worth, and are a very big company not in the business of selling spare land to individuals, its just not going to happen.