Hello all. Thanks for any advice in advance. I had inherited some rights in Stephens County and I have searched, and asked landmen, with no real answers and am wondering if I should get a lawyer involved or if I don’t understand but here’s my question:
According to the quit claim deed that we had a lawyer do when my uncle died, it reads that I own 144.93 acres, but when I look at some of the history, the transfer from my grandmother to my uncle (that I got this from) left him with and “undivided 1/8 interest” on the same property description. Prior to that, the same land was passed from my great grandmother to my grandmother in which it was split 3 ways but says nothing about fractional interest or anything. I can not find anything that specifies where this 1/8 interest comes from or how that was calculated or what???
Basically, the leases I have signed are for appx 8 acres and I don’t understand how they come up with this number…
It sounds like the tract is 144.93 acres (Surface Acres) and the Net Mineral acres (NMA) are 8 acres. Most of the time the surface acres have been severed from the minerals and you only own the mineral acres that is in the tract. Just my observation, I may be wrong as well though. MK
You can have a mineral title opinion created (not by me) to verify your net mineral acreage. It is not unusual for there to be substantial confusion. While most division order analysts are very good, they can make mistakes.
This post is not legal, tax or investment advice. Reading or responding to this post does not create an attorney/client relationship.
The 144.93 acres means absolutely nothing in regards to minerals, its simply the gross surface acreage tract in which your grandparents owned minerals under and how they file deeds. You would have to go back from statehood and look at every conveyance covering the tract to see the mineral acres that your great/grandma owned at the time of their passing. You can get a lawyer involved but if all the leases you have signed are for 8 acres, 9.5 times out of 10, thats what you own.
Agree with Bob. Now, okcountyrecords for Stephens county goes all the way back to statehood. So, you could go on the site and find the chain of title leading up where your family comes into title. That may resolve your question.
Thank you all for the insight. I believe the original purchase was between 1905 and 1930 but I don’t see any records that old on the site for Stephens county. Oldest I can find is 1991 and that’s actually the section I speak of (6-1s-4w).
I assume at this point it would pay someone to do “a mineral title opinion” or go visit the courthouse?
Who would I contact for this opinion?
I just pulled up your Order from 2006 where it specifically states that you and your brother and sister get 1/3 of 1/8th into Lot 6, 7, E2SW/4 owned by Virginia. The math on that (1/24th x 144.93=6.093875 acres) is less than what you are getting paid on currently on the 8 acres that you stated. What exactly are you trying to prove/“disprove”? And why do you want to hire a landman or attorney to run the title on it when you signed an OGL in 2013, 2017 and 2024 for the same acreage?
Bob, I am not trying to prove or disprove anything really, just trying to understand how they come up with the numbers they do. I have already paid a lawyer in the past for some stuff and would rather not but none of it makes sense to me.
As far as how that worked out, that 2006 was not me nor was that divided by 3. The whole lot was left to my uncle (Gregory) on that probate order, and that is what I inherited from him in 2013.
So this is how it all went as far as I can tell but can not find anything prior:
1991 - Beulah Ethel Couey left Lot 6, 7, E2SW/4 to my grandmother (Virginia) and 2 siblings (1/3 each) (no mention of fractional interest)
1995 - record of lease for E2SW/4 80 acres, no mention of 1/8th interest
2006 - Virginia left to my uncle Gregory whole thing 144.93 acres no mention about 1/8th interest
2012 - Passed to me through quitclaim by my uncles wife, my dad and my aunt 144.93 acres, now a mention of 1/8th interest in this ownership
2013 - lease with no mention of 1/8th interest or 8 net acres, but just the 144.93 although I remember the bonus was based on 8.x acres
2017 - same
2024 - lease same total land mention (gross acres 144.93), with mention 8.0165 net acres and .05555558 interest
I guess the whole lot was divided perhaps several times before Beulah owned it and was not recorded on some of these probate documents? I understand I will have to find older records but I can’t drive to OK any time soon… and I would like to understand some of these numbers and so far this stuff is apparently over my head.
Thanks for reading my gibberish…and for thoughts back.