How a 1908 Tax Sale Kept Pennsylvania Mineral Rights Alive
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently confirmed that an historic tax sale maneuvering by a surface owner did not erase a family trust's subsurface mineral rights.
Legal
Owner research · title · valuation
Inheritance
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The Illinois Basin Reality: Valuing and Managing Stripper Well Royalties
A guide to understanding Illinois Basin stripper wells, the Severance Tax Act, and navigating local probate to release suspended royalty funds.
ValuationInheritanceTaxes
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11 on this pageThe Magic and the Myth of Louisiana’s Judgment of Possession in Mineral Title
A Judgment of Possession collapses decades of Louisiana probate research into a single document. But relying on it without checking the conveyance records is a massive trap.
Legal
The Memorandum of Lease Blind Spot: Why Hiding Your Custom Addendum Hurts Your Estate
Operators file a Memorandum of Lease to hide your negotiated terms from neighbors. But decades later, that same secrecy can severely penalize your heirs.
Legal
The Open-Mine Doctrine: Why a Life Estate in Minerals Creates a Family Stalemate
Leaving a life estate in mineral rights seems like a smart way to protect your spouse. But an ancient property law rule can freeze those royalties for decades.
Inheritance
Texas NPRIs: How Deed Language Can Affect Royalty Rights
Texas law protects Non-Participating Royalty Interest owners from unauthorized pooling, but cashing a check or signing a form can quietly erase those protections.
Legal
Oklahoma & New Mexico: The BIA Allotment Trust Bottleneck
Why mineral royalties on allotted Indian lands get stuck in federal trust accounts for years, and how the BIA's dual-consent trap complicates leasing.
Legal
The Dunham Rule: Why Your Pennsylvania 'Mineral' Deed Might Be Worthless
A century-old Pennsylvania law says a deed reserving 'minerals' doesn't include oil or gas. Here is how the Dunham Rule catches modern heirs off guard.
Legal
Texas Receivership Leases for Missing Mineral Owners
When operators can't find missing mineral owners, Texas law allows a county judge to sign a lease on their behalf. Here is how the receivership process works.
Legal
Louisiana Naked Ownership and Usufruct: Who Receives Mineral Royalties?
Louisiana handles inherited mineral rights completely differently than the rest of the country. We explain the usufruct, naked ownership, and who gets paid.
Inheritance
Michigan Dormant Mineral Rights: The 20-Year Reversion Rule
Michigan’s Dormant Minerals Act turns family oil and gas rights into a ticking clock. Learn how to stop your minerals from reverting to the surface owner.
Education
Oklahoma Pooling Proceeds and the Mineral Owner’s Fund
When an Oklahoma mineral owner goes missing, their forced-pooling money doesn't just sit there. It enters a bureaucratic labyrinth that funds the state.
Inheritance