Wondering if anyone has any experience dealing with Continental Resources (CLR).
BACKSTORY:
Inherited with 3 others Grandmothers mineral rights. Grandma has signed a lease with CLR. CLR was splitting it up accordingly each month, but when volume went up we were requested by CLR to go to probate. We completed probate now. It’s been recorded.
Since we are new owners I assume CLR would update their lease with our names now or does it work differently for mineral leases?
I assume if they had to change names on a lease then it opens them up to renegotiations? Or does it? I have no clue.
I’d like to ensure that interest is divided as it should be so I’m trying to ask the right questions.
The original lease stays in place. There won’t be an opportunity to renegotiate a new lease until the current lease expires. Each of your interests are subject to that original lease.
As Todd says, the lease remains in place as is until it expires. Now that you have probated the will, each heir needs to give their name and address to CLR so that new division orders can be issued. The probate needs to be filed in the county courthouse where the deceased lived. It also has to be filed in the county courthouse where the minerals are located if different (and in multiple counties if relevant.) That way the landmen can find the information in the future.
Does a probate need to also be filed with the County Clerk’s office if it was done in the same county where the minerals are located? Or is it sufficient that it’s already filed with the Court Clerk’s office?
Randy, the answer is that the probate order should be filed with the court clerk where the probate was filed and the county clerk (recorder of deeds) in every county where minerals are located. Your attorney should have done this unless he/she was unaware of where minerals were located.
Well the probate of my great grandfather’s estate was done nearly 70 years ago, before I was born. I’ve been dealing with these interests now for over 20 years with no issues until just the past few years. Now I’m told the probate was never recorded in the county clerk’s office but is only in the court clerk’s office. I was quite surprised as it’s hard to understand why it was never an issue considering the dozens of leases signed by various family members over the years and the many dozens of wells drilled over that time. I suppose it’s better late than never for me to get it filed. At least if I’m able to do it with such an old document. I recently obtained a copy which does list all the properties.