Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by adubu on July 9, 2012 at 9:57

Texasi--- after all this said and done it still doesnot get you information on where in the Survey your grandafather's land was and therefore your minerals located on Map. If you have no known landmarks of where then only way I know of would be find a old map that  landman use to ID tracts. Maybe ask --Skip Peel independent landman-- a member on this site  if he know where you could find such.

Permalink Reply by Krkyoldhag on July 14, 2012 at 2:38

Ok  here the deal   ...if you end up owning the minerals to a portion of that 60 acres  its worth a trip to Shelby County courthouse..or the cost to pay someone to do research for you.

There are college kids  for hire for that.  Or a staff person might help.

Do not depend on computer info tho.  I went to the courthouse and started in 1909 and looked thru every volume of transfers of deeds thru 1998 to find the trail of my ownership..

Its there..I figured it might take several days but I did it in just hours.

First you go to the volumes that list the actions..then they refer you to the vol that this actual document is in.  Its all there..

There are no requirements to get into the records section.  You might even find someone there who is helpful.  Don't count on it.

Keep in mind that the oil company records are not always accurate..Depend on the country records.

A mini vacation to East Texas isn't the worst thing you could experience.  Actually you might even enjoy the history you will see as you go thru the records. 

Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on July 9, 2012 at 11:27

Thanks for the recommendation, adubu.  I would however like to point out that the best member to research TX minerals and title is, IMO, jffree1. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by adubu on July 9, 2012 at 12:41

Skip--- what I think he wants is a map showing the tracts of owners land contiguous to others in a survey. Most of these map I have seen that Landman use to run title and locate owners are several years back and are ID by legal description of land tracts as changed hands about 50 years or so. They then go to court house and start there and go to present time( looking for other sells of change) for present owner of Title. So question is where can you obtain these maps other than the operators and landman that work for them. I am sure a lot of the independent broker's landman have maps. Are they available to general public somewhere?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on July 9, 2012 at 14:07

Plat books are available which show surface ownership for a county or parish.  For Texas:

http://www.rockfordmap.com/

For greater oil and gas related detail, at a greater price, Tobin maps (paper and digital) are used by members of the industry.

http://www.p2energysolutions.com/tobin-map-data

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by adubu on July 9, 2012 at 16:08

Skip--- thanks good infomation I always wonder were those maps came from. I don't think texasi wants to spend that much to find his location to property in the survey with only 2 acres-- he can just wait and hope if someone wants to leases his 2 acres the landman will be kind and share map with him ( I think he just needs to run title to be sure what he does own and then just wait) -- but good to have link for future reference for others may desire it. Thx

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by texasj on July 10, 2012 at 5:35

Yes, thanks for all your help.  I'm sure that I will ultimately have to run title, no matter what.  And you are right, with just 60 acres of land total, and dividing it the way we have to, there is not room for a lot of expenses.  We're all out there starving, so to speak.  I'm the wealthiest of all my siblings, and I am pitifully poor, if you know what I mean.  I can't afford much, or I will just have to let it lie.  I actually live pretty close to the Eagle Ford play, but the land that I own mineral rights to over here, is just out of the zone.  There are a bunch of people down here who were just farmers like us, and are now millionaires, though.  I will make you aware of whatever I discover, as soon as I discover it.  Thanks again.   

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by texasj on July 10, 2012 at 5:27

Thanks for the additional info.  ANY information will always be put to good use. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by adubu on July 10, 2012 at 9:32

texasi--- did you call and ask  the staff in county clerk office to  find the 1963 deed after you gave them the Vol and page # ? Did they mail you copy?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by texasj on July 10, 2012 at 10:13

I have been so slammed at work that I have not been able to call the county clerk's office yet.  It is hard for me to make personal calls at work.  As soon as I can sneak it in, I certainly will.  If I can secure a copy of that deed, that will help me to get started on this. 

texasj

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by texasj on July 13, 2012 at 8:15

Hi,  I finally got a chance to call Shelby Co.--got a really nice lady on the phone.  Apparently, there was a glitch on the site, but she was able to find some stuff.  I ordered my grandad's warranty deed and my mom's copy of her latest mineral lease, so that is a starting point for me, once I receive them.  Curiously, during our conversation, I posed this question to her:  When I start to locate the particular document that my mother would have held, showing that she actually owned the (separated from the surface) mineral rights, what would that document actually be?  Would it be a deed, etc.?  What would the title of that document be?  She consulted someone in her office and said that they were not allowed  to tell me what kind of document that was.  I thought that was quite strange!!  I just want to know if I am looking for a warranty deed, or what will it be called???

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by adubu on July 13, 2012 at 14:47

texasi--- it's not that they did not want to give you info on that is because they are not allowed to spend staff time to extend the search and basically to a title search for you on the phone. Usually they will look up one deed for you as they did and that is very nice .The document will be in the deeds as the property changes hand until you find a deed were the minerals are reserved by the seller and none conveyed to the buyer therefore separating the minerals forever from the surface land  either in parital like 50% or what untill no minerals left with surface land. The minerals can get undivided with in the tract to several people which is usually the case after couple generation pass with time. --- then the minerals will then be passed to heirs in Wills on death of owners and divided between the heirs unless deeded separately to some others by sell etc. So if you have the warrent deed grandfather sale look and confirm it is written in the deed that the minerals had been reserved by your grandfather and what % of total-- if not confirmed he reserved them then they went with the land and you don't own any minerals. If resevered and separated from land then follow title to heirs that inherited them. Good Luck--- you got what you need to get started. You may need to got back to deed were your grandfather purchased the land to make sure the Grantor did not reserve any of the minerals and to confirm what you grandfather owned before he sold land.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page