For 26 years I've had a grass strip in my backyard. For many years it was not charted but more recently, a few years ago, we had it charted and put on the FAA sectional chart. Immediately off one end of the strip sits a small 1.5 block of land that I recently found out someone is trying to make a deal to purchase. There is no fence or road or anything separating the two parcels, and my strip literally ends right ON or AT the property line separating us. I've always kept it mowed just as an emergency overrun area, but luckily it's never been needed for that! Of course I would like to purchase it, didn't know that was a possibility before, but someone else already has a deal working. So my question is what if someone buys it and decides they want to build a house immediately off the end of my strip? I would hope it would be single-story with a shallow roof pitch and no chimneys or TV antennas, lol. But seriously, do I have a legal leg to stand on to prevent that from happening? I don't think they know of the runway situation yet, and hoping that once they do they will decide to look elsewhere. But… Who knows?

Not sure about the US of A but if in Canada I'd contact the listing agent, make it know to her/him of the FAA "listed" airport status. It then become their legal responsibility to disclose to any interested party of the presence of an airport.

That was exactly what my attorney had me set up an "avigation easement" for. I've mentioned it to a lot of people and they usually roll their eyes and say it's not needed. I'd say it could be.
Good luck, because from what I was told, you don't have a leg to stand on....but my advice comes from Montana...it might be different in Texas.
John

If it were me, I’d find out what the offer is and make a better offer. Unless it’s already done. Even if I had to borrow a lot.

MTV

That's my plan, only problem is the offer is already ridiculously high.

Make it well known, in a very public way that an FAA registered airport exist.

Mapleflt wrote:Make it well known, in a very public way that a FAA registered airport exist

Exactly. Put up a great big sign[emoji1]


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Before I say anything tomorrow is Monday morning I would be knocking on a lawyers door that is familiar with aviation law in your state of Texas also if you belong to AOPA talk to them.
I live on an airstrip in Southwest Washington where we had a similar problem but we have a road on each end a housing development on each end. the county wanted us to have a 500 foot displaced threshold on our strip after our lawyer Talk to the county mentioning that they had wrongfully issued building permits that the county should remove 500 feet of neighborhood to accommodate the airport. The county decided to drop everything and give us a waiver. It’s been good for the last 20 years or so. The neighborhood on the east end was put in after the neighborhood on the west. they ended up putting one of the streets fairly well aligned with our runway. But there is still one house that is across the street and directly in line with the runway. When we’re on final we are literally about 25 feet over the top of his house we haven’t had a problem with the owner at all that I am aware of. Good luck Rich @ W56


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So I will be the devils advocate here. You want to lower the value of your neighbors property by restricting the use of his property to only things that will not effect how you use your property. Most people do not want to live next to an airport so you have already reduced the value of his property by just having your runway there. That is why most zoning has restrictions regarding airports. You need to pay to play. Either buy the property at the current value, which has been established by the current prospective buyer's offer or pay for an avigation easement to compensate the current owner for not being able to sell the land as a home site. Sorry but there are two sides to every story.

Tim

I live in NW Oregon. In a county that hates internal combustion engines. We have to get the counties blessing to have a legal farm strip, as well as FAA's ok if we want it charted. In your area do you need counties OK? Do you have that?

I know a guy who was hauled into court 2 times, threatened with jail if he kept landing on his strip which had been on his land for well over 10 years. He had been charted and registered with the state. He stopped paying the fee. When neighbors complained, he told the state he would start paying registration TAX/FEE again. State said to late, no thanks.

So every situation is different. Good luck!

It's good that it's an FAA-registered & charted airport.
I would immediately put up a big sign that says
AIRPORT - CAUTION - LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT
I would also publish a legal notice in the local newspaper stating that it is an active airport,
and that nearby properties are subject to airplane noise.
I would then send a copy of that notice (by registered mail) to the listing real estate agent,
and to the potential buyer as well if you can.
Our state has laws about selling real estate requiring "full disclosure", maybe yours does also.
Our state also has regulations requiring counties to avoid zoning for or permitting incompatible land use
adjacent to airports. Might be only public airports though, not sure.

This is a tough deal. I can totally see your perspective, the strips been in use for 26 years, but I’m a pretty firm believer that a guy ought to be able to do whatever he wants with his land. In hindsight, seeking an easement and letting the land owner know you want to purchase the land would have been a good idea. At this point I think I’d talk to the county about possible solutions and maybe start the process of getting an easement. I’d also consider parking an airplane within clear view if the parcel in question or find some way to make it clear to every potential buyer that your adjacent property has a legal runway that is actively used.

It’s issues like this that make my county require a several hundred acre parcel for a private runway.

richw56 wrote:I live on an airstrip in Southwest Washington ...
Good luck Rich @ W56

You're about as boxed in by houses as suburban airstrips get.

Good stuff, thanks for all the input! This forum is amazing, lots of great minds here. Guess we'll see what happens, I'll post results here once I know ...

I’m reminded of this guy. If I recall correctly the runway had been in use for years. A new neighbor moves in a builds the tall white house. I hope a similar situation can be avoided.

I'd say, suck it up and pay out what you have to keep the "new" guy out, "ain't right, but it's so."

My own strip is registered with the FAA. To my surprise, the first time I met the new property owners (from California, them not me), to one side of me, they immediately let me know they were aware of my "airport", and as their family had a long history with aviation, they could care less! How's that for lucky?

I think I would have bought the property a long time ago, to prevent this exact problem.

Lots of great suggestions so far and an interesting read. It would be also worth finding out if the party interested in the property happens to fly. Just possibly he wants to live by an airport. I know if I were buying a piece of land living next to an existing grass strip would be a selling point if granted access to the airport.


Josh

You guys are making a big deal out of an easy solution. Get some friends with their Skywagons with Sea Plane props and invite the realtor (and buyer if possible) over to your place for a BBQ. And have your buddies takeoff over the other potential new house locaion. Done. Then like MTV says buy the lot.