Getting a letter or a phone call from some oil company yahoo informing a surface owner that a seismic crew is coming on their property like it or not is no way to start the day. It is legal, but there are practical questions about this approach. If an anomaly is found, lease negotiations are going to be very tense. Herein lies the rub. In order to work successfully, there must be an air of trust in the community for the man on the ground.
Solutions are hard to come by.
Blaming the law is a dead end. Being looked upon as a minion of government regulations will not endear you to anyone. If the situation comes down to a court order, then that is just the way it is. The company's name will be on the order, but it will not deflect all of the heat. The result of this situation is the public loss of trust in the Landman.