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If a right-of-way agent has contacted you about the FGT Phase IX pipeline, do not sign anything, grant survey access, or agree to a price until you have the offer in writing and an eminent domain attorney has reviewed it. Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) says its right-of-way personnel are contacting affected and abutting landowners, and it has asked FERC for the certificate that would give it condemnation power. Until that certificate issues, FGT has no federal condemnation power, so you are negotiating, not being compelled.
What Should You Do First When an FGT Phase IX Pipeline Agent Contacts You?
Do not sign or agree to anything by phone or at your door. Ask the agent for the written offer, the appraisal behind it, a map showing the exact route across your parcel, and the draft easement. Keep a log of every contact, then have an attorney review the documents before you respond.
Did a right-of-way agent just contact you about your property? Talk with a Jimerson Birr eminent domain attorney before you sign or give survey access.
Survey access deserves its own caution. FERC’s landowner guide says a pipeline company may ask permission to survey, that state and local trespass laws govern until a certificate issues, and that some states allow survey access by statute. Ask an attorney whether and how a survey request binds you before you agree.
Where Does the FGT Phase IX Pipeline Project Stand With FERC?
FGT filed its certificate application with FERC on September 9, 2026, under docket CP26-578-000. The application asks for authority under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and lists an estimated cost of about $1.22 billion. FERC’s notice of the application says staff will either finish its environmental review or issue a review schedule within 90 days of the notice.
FGT’s June 2026 fact sheet describes the plan this way:
- About 95 miles of new pipeline loops across 14 counties in Florida and Mississippi, plus compressor station work. The Florida loop counties are Santa Rosa, Walton, Holmes, Liberty, Gadsden, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Lafayette, Union, Putnam, and Hillsborough.
- Pipe 30 to 42 inches in diameter, buried at least 36 inches deep.
- Permanent and temporary workspace easements of about 50 feet each, with another 50 feet of temporary workspace possible in some areas.
- Construction from the fourth quarter of 2027 through the fourth quarter of 2028, depending on final approvals.
Treat the route and widths as proposals until FERC acts. Check the docket for any order issued after this post was published.
Can FGT Take Your Land if You Say No?
Not before FERC issues a certificate. Afterward, the Natural Gas Act allows the certificate holder to condemn an easement when it cannot get the right-of-way by contract or cannot agree with the owner on compensation. Section 717f(h) provides for that power, and a federal or state court, not FERC, decides compensation. FERC’s landowner guide adds that the power may be used only for the proposed pipeline and related facilities in the exact location described.
That is a federal power held by a private company, so do not assume the rules you read about road-project takings carry over. Our guides to eminent domain for private infrastructure and Duke Energy transmission line easements cover Florida state-law condemnation by private infrastructure builders and an investor-owned utility, not federal Natural Gas Act proceedings, so do not import their Florida-specific protections. Utility and transmission-line work appears in the eminent domain experience described on Charles Jimerson’s attorney profile. For the broader Florida process, see our overview of eminent domain condemnation issues.
What Should You Ask Before Signing a Pipeline Easement Agreement?
Ask what the document lets FGT do and what it stops you from doing, because the agreement controls your land long after construction ends. FERC’s guide describes these typical terms:
- Restricted uses. The agreement lists activities that need company permission. Buildings and large trees are usually not allowed, while driveways and improvements without foundations are normally allowed.
- Duration. The right-of-way lasts until abandonment is approved, which the guide says can be 20 to 50 years or more.
- Taxes. The landowner pays taxes on the right-of-way unless a local taxing authority grants relief.
- Denial or rerouting. If the project is denied or rerouted, the initial easement is usually void, depending on its wording.
- Disputes. Disagreements over the wording are subject to state law.
For a company, the questions get specific. A developer holding entitled acreage needs to know whether a 50-foot strip blocks a building pad or road crossing. A timber or agricultural operator needs access and crossing rights during and after construction. A commercial landlord needs to know whether a lender or tenant must consent. Jimerson Birr’s real estate development and construction team handles real estate litigation, including easement disputes, and a title examination can reveal encumbrances already on your property. Plans for permits and zoning approvals fall under land use and zoning. For background, see our explainer on easements and rights of way.
Planning to build, lease, or sell on land near the route? Request a free consultation with Jimerson Birr so an attorney can compare the easement terms to your plans.
Does the Offer Cover Everything a Pipeline Right of Way Takes?
Not necessarily, so ask what each number covers. FGT says landowners are compensated at fair market value supported by professional appraisers. FERC’s guide says landowners may also be paid for loss of certain uses of the land during and after construction, lost resources, and property damage.
Ask whether the offer separates the permanent strip, the temporary workspace, and the effect on the rest of the parcel. An independent appraisal can test the answer.
Can You Still Take Part in the FERC Process?
Possibly, but the window for timely filings has closed. FERC set an October 14, 2026 deadline for motions to intervene, protests, and comments in docket CP26-578-000. Late motions may be denied unless good cause is shown.
The deadline matters because only intervenors may request rehearing of FERC’s orders or challenge them in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, and filing comments alone does not make someone a party. The notice also says you do not need property directly affected to intervene. Intervening is a separate federal filing process, so ask about it when you call.
What Facts Decide Your Next Move?
Five facts shape how you should respond to the agent:
- Whether your parcel is on the proposed route, next to it, or only nearby.
- What you have already signed or said, including survey permissions, options, letters, and verbal agreements.
- What already burdens the property, such as mortgage covenants, tenant leases, and recorded easements that may require consent.
- Your plans for construction, subdivision, or operations that a permanent strip or temporary workspace could affect.
- Whether you filed a motion to intervene or comments in the docket by the deadline.
These facts decide the outcome, and an attorney needs to review them before you answer the agent.
Not sure which of these facts applies to your parcel? Talk with a Jimerson Birr eminent domain attorney about the documents you have been handed.
How Can Jimerson Birr Help With an FGT Phase IX Pipeline Easement Agent?
If an easement agent has contacted you about the FGT Phase IX pipeline, an attorney can review the offer and easement terms before you commit. Jimerson Birr represents Florida property owners in condemnation matters involving partial takings, total takings, easements, and rights of way. Call (904) 389-0050 or request a free consultation before you sign. Waiting has a cost: anything you sign or agree to, including survey permission, can limit your options, and FERC’s October 14, 2026 deadline for timely intervention has already passed.