A woman from Fenton is fighting oil company over land rights

FENTON, Mich (wxyz) - Debbie Hense says she feels violated after workers for the oil company Enbridge took down 50 trees on her 22 acre property in Fenton.

She says she sat in a chair out on the property most of the day trying to stop them.

Enbridge does have a pipeline along and under a 60 foot easement on the Hense's land and a spokesman for Enbridge says they have approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission to replace a segment of the pipeline and use additional land if needed for workspace.

Enbridge says it would negotiate a price for the land, but Debbie says taking and using that land destroys some of the beauty of her property and she fears they will take down trees all the way to her house.

A lawyer for Debbie went to Livingston County Circuit Court asking for a restraining order on the tree removal, but Gary Field says lawyers for Enbridge are asking for one as well.  They want to stop Debbie from sitting on a chair preventing them from doing their work.

A judge is to hear arguments for both sides on September 25 and-- until then-- the tree removal will stop.

"Thank goodness someone is listening to us because Enbridge is just doing what it wants and doesn't care," says Debbie.

We told her that Enbridge says they have a right to replace the pipeline and use additional space if they want and Debbie says "they are wrong."