“On May 16, 2024, UFBWR’s litigation team led by Jaime S. Rangel and co-counsel M. Aldo Dyer and R. Shane Sillivent secured a hard fought Summary Judgment win against Defendant San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SMEC) on behalf of a group of McMullen County land and mineral owners. The controlling issue decided by the Court was whether a 1931 Partition Deed reserved any rights to lignite. SMEC contended that the Partition Deed did reserve such rights and that it had the right to enter Plaintiffs’ lands in order to mine lignite. In granting Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment, and denying SMEC’s motion, the Honorable Janna K. Whatley declared that the Partition Deed did not reserve any rights to lignite (see attached). The style of the case is Cause No. M-22-0027-CV-B, Lee Franklin Lively, et al. v. San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc., In the 156th Judicial District Court, McMullen County, Texas.”
