LUFKIN – Local property owners are confused about letters received from a law firm in Houston in an advertising attempt to gain business.
The letters say, “TxDOT will likely take your property” which is stamped “advertisement” at the bottom of the letter.
The property owners are mostly located near current or future TxDOT construction projects. These advertisements should be disregarded.
“When we go through right-of-way acquisitions for construction projects, we contact property owners who will be affected by the project. We mail each affected person a letter and then speak with them directly on the telephone or sit down with them to discuss the project,” said Rhonda Oaks, Lufkin District public information officer. “We want the public to know that if you have not received a letter from our right-of-way professionals regarding a construction project; your property will not be affected.”
The advertisement has been mailed to property owners listed on the tax rolls in the area of future projects. In most cases, the right-of-way has already been purchased by TxDOT or those receiving the advertisements are not located near a future project.
“The public is always welcome to contact us with any questions they might have regarding right-of-way acquisitions, but rule of thumb is, if we have not already contacted you, then your property will not be a part of any acquisition,” Oaks said.
For a complete list of projects in the Lufkin District, visit txdot.gov and click Inside TxDOT, then Project Tracker. The public will then be able to choose a county to view all current construction projects and those under development.
For more information, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or (936) 633-4395.
