Land dispute along Red River pits claims from Oklahoma, Texas landowners against each other

An Oklahoma woman and a Texas man both have claims on a piece of property along the Red River, but finding out who the real owner is has become tricky.

BY MICHAEL BAKER | Published: May 16, 2010 Comment on this article

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BENNINGTON — Two landowners with a claim on the same 10 acres along the Oklahoma-Texas border are in a dispute that could erupt into a Red River boundary battle.

"It sounds like there’s two deeds, one in Oklahoma and one in Texas,” Bryan County Assessor Glendel Rushing said. "But, golly, it sure is kind of interesting that this wouldn’t have surfaced before now.”

The land in question is a small square piece of property in Texas, just south of the Red River. Opinions on whether the land was ever in Oklahoma depend on whom is asked and whether the river ever shifted north.

Susie Bullock’s family has paid taxes on the land to Bryan County since her father bought the 10 acres in January 1954, according to records on file in Durant.

Robert Ledbetter also has faithfully paid his taxes on the same acreage, but to Lamar County, Texas, where his ownership papers have been on file since December 1969.

"Both of them are filed properly,” said Phyllis Bryan, chief appraiser for Lamar County, Texas. "It’s just that one of them was filed in Oklahoma and one of them was filed in Texas.”

Bullock wants the issue cleared up whether it’s decided she has a claim to the land or not.

"It could be that my daddy was sold a bill of goods, and that deed is no good,” Bullock said.

"I’m prepared for either way, but I just need to get it settled.”

Ledbetter said he knows the answer and it’s a simple one.

"I want to be very accurate and succinct,” he said. "She has no acres south of the Red River.”

Daughter’s discovery

Bullock began looking into the matter about three years ago as she organized her mother’s financial affairs. Her mother, now 89, was getting ready to move into assisted living.

Bullock has recently sold other pieces of land her father bought. The final piece is the acreage just south of the Red River.

In March, Bullock spoke with county officials in Durant and Paris, Texas. She also drove on winding county roads to look at the land. Not much is there, just sandy soil. No trees. There’s some plush adjacent riverfront property, but for the most part it’s an unremarkable 10 acres.

Bullock was met by a man with a gun on his hip who said it was someone else’s land.

"I don’t want to accuse anybody of any violence or anything like that, but these folks are serious down there,” she said.

The man said he leased the land from someone in Texas, apologized for being gruff, but told her she wasn’t allowed on the property, Bullock said.

Ledbetter said his man met Bullock and was respectful but did tell her she wasn’t allowed on the property.

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