Hello. My mother-in-law and her siblings inherited mineral rights in Kingfisher County OK. Despite having 2 active wells in their interests, they have not received revenue payments from Marathon Oil. I provided Marathon proof of their ownership interest which included the signed lease, probate documents and death certificate. Marathon Oil investigated further. They believe my mother-in-law and siblings don’t have ownership interest. Apparently, the rights belong to someone else with the same name but different middle initials. Since, I have a copy of the lease signed and dated with a description of their interests, I’m confused why there is a dispute. Any guidance is appreciated.
Marathon has run a Division Order title opinion which traces the title back to patent at statehood. Just because someone was leased does not prove their title. You may think you have proof of the most recent generations, but the title may have the issue back a few generations before your mom and siblings. Unfortunately, leasing is often done with sloppy or no title work, so these issues can happen. If you have proof of your title all the way back to patent, then you can dispute. It is acceptable for you to ask at what point and whose name the person with the different middle initial caused the issue. Sometime, someone has two middle names or writing is illegible, or there is a typo in the title chain, so you can follow up.
Thank you!! I don’t believe they have proof of prior ownership. Would Kingfisher County have those records on file?
Yes, if the title is fully in Kingfisher. There may be a will filed elsewhere. You can start your hunt for free to look or for a small fee to print on www.okcountyrecords.com. It has most of the counties in OK.
Start with your generation and then work backwards. I use the Advanced Search option. I also download the files digitally and then print them myself if I need them.
Real simple, the in house landmen are too lazy to or unable to complete a division order and want to blame the mineral owner.
Although rare, sometimes oil companies take leases from individuals with no ownership interest. Does the probate order refer to the minerals? Does the address on the lease match that of your mother-in-law? Is there an explanation of why the middle initial differs? Get as much information from the division order analyst. You can research Kingfisher County records here:
Kingfisher County | OKCountyRecords.com | County Clerk Public Land Records for Oklahoma
This post is not legal, tax or investment advice. Reading or responding to this post does not create an attorney/client relationship.
In the search do you put in the description and last name?
I usually start with the Advanced Search and use the last name and first name. I sometimes try the Grantor, Grantee option. Starting simple usually shows up too much and then I can winnow down from there.
Christy you are getting good advice from Winblad and Barnes. There are instances where the wrong person has been established to be an owner in a well. Proving this will be a task that is better left to a professional since it will require detailed documentation in order to establish ownership.This could be costly or just a couple of days of work by a good landman. Although it is unusual to see a company lease from individuals of the same/similar name, I have had clients direct me to do just that depending on time frames and the cost of the lease. Even if you are able to provide sufficient documentation, Marathon will most likely suspend all funds and require curative actions which could be lengthy. Good luck
2 Likes