What if a natural gas company built a road on your property prior to you buying the property can the land owner ask for a yearly fee for the use of the property?

Answer 1

You should contact the attorney who represented you when you purchased your property. There should be an instrument in the chain of title for the property that describes the rights that were granted to the gas company by a prior owner. When you purchased the property a title examination should have been performed and the attorney should be able to provide you with a copy of the instrument that created the easement.

The most likely explanation is that a prior owner granted easement rights to the gas company for a small fee. You have no power to change the provisions set forth in that easement agreement. When you purchased the property you purchased it subject to any outstanding liens and encumbrances. If the attorney who represented you when you purchased your property cannot or will not help then you can go to your local land records office and ask the staff to help you find the easement so you can review its terms.