An ongoing dispute between contractor Tahtsa Timber and the West Fraser Mill in Houston has led to a blockade of a branch of rail line leading to the mill.
Tahtsa Timber owner Klaus Posselt says he blocked the line that runs through his property with an excavator back in March after what he says was a lack of communication surrounding the mill closure and changing contracts between the two companies.
“There were significant issues last year and it basically came to a head and we didn’t get any resolution. So finally in March we gave them a written notice and that gave them another week to deal with it and we extended it another couple of days. In the end we saw no other course of action…The property is our legally. We could have blocked it from the date of purchase. But we are hoping that contractual obligations that West Fraser has with Tahtsa could be solved in a normal fashion.”
Posselt says the company was hoping the blockade would jar West Fraser into negotiating with Tahtsa.
He says West Fraser filed an injunction to use the line and Posselt responded yesterday.
The two companies will meet in court next week.