The Supreme Court is asking the Trump administration to offer its thoughts on a quarrel over who should pay the legal fees in a landowner dispute over compensation for a pipeline crossing their property.
North Dakota rancher Len Hoffmann and other landowners represented by the Institute for Justice want the high court to rule on whether state or federal law determines which party is responsible for covering their attorneys’ fees.
On Monday, the court asked the solicitor general to file a brief on the merits of the case, Hoffmann v. WBI Energy Transmission. The input of the solicitor general can play an important role in helping the court decide whether to grant a case. At least four justices have to agree to hear a petition.
The Supreme Court petition comes after landowners challenged the rate WBI reimbursed them for their land after the gas company built a pipeline across their property. The landowners had not opposed the pipe itself but instead challenged how the company calculated the value of their land.
