CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A legal fight over mountain rocks that are used for building and whether property owners can stop their removal by people who hold mineral rights on the same land goes to trial before a Tennessee judge Tuesday.
A key question to be answered: Is a rock a mineral?
Five property owners on Sequatchie County's Fredonia Mountain contend that if mineral rights' owners are allowed to take the rocks, their scenic bluffs and land covered with hardwoods and evergreens will be ruined by blasting and bulldozers.
A chancery judge will decide if mineral rights from decades ago when coal was in demand also apply to sandstone, fieldstone and flagstone on the mountain. The judge's decision could have implications for many property owners who don't own mineral rights on their land.
A key question to be answered: Is a rock a mineral?
Five property owners on Sequatchie County's Fredonia Mountain contend that if mineral rights' owners are allowed to take the rocks, their scenic bluffs and land covered with hardwoods and evergreens will be ruined by blasting and bulldozers.
A chancery judge will decide if mineral rights from decades ago when coal was in demand also apply to sandstone, fieldstone and flagstone on the mountain. The judge's decision could have implications for many property owners who don't own mineral rights on their land.
