I’m not an attorney. Here’s what it looks like to me.
That company must have had some authority to be there. If they didn’t they’re in deep caca.
Unless money had changed hands, that power company had no business being on her property. A court may have given them that authority to complete surveys. If not, they were tresspassing. As for the deputy, he would have been too.
He can be there as security for a firm if they have a right to be there. If they don’t, he would be a party to a crime.
This woman may be get herself an attorney and clean these folk’s clock.
If they had been in Texas and tried to pull this, the husband may have been within his rights to use lethal force to prevent his wife from being kidnapped. Of course that’s assuming the company did not have the right to be there.
I have a real hard time thinking they didn’t. They would be opening themselves up to some serious litigation if they didn’t.
This sort of thing bothers me alot. Property rights are very important.
I'm sure they did. And I'm sure she has every legal right to speak to them and ask questions.
What's the worst case here? She had a hemorrhoid flare and treated them to a choice word or two?
I value property rights also. I also feel that some uses of eminent domain are legitimate. Utilities are vitally important. Life as we know it will cease with out electricity, it is as necessary as food and water.
If it had been this small west Texas town, they would have just taxed the poor woman out of her property, then gone ahead with utilities building.