Connie L. Myers - you should still have those minerals, as long as they haven’t been sold for back taxes. There’s no Dormant Minerals act in WV.
Nancy will give great advice on how to work with the County. She’s done quite a bit of that kind of thing.
Thanks all!
Connie, I have not seen Doddridge tax list on the internet. It would be very helpful if they had it there.
New member - I discovered that I have mineral right with an expired lease, dating back to 1978. Doddridge County shows this in my previous married name.
Question - Are the mineral rights still valid. If so how do I get my name changed.
Connie, do you mean Doddridge has the tax listed in the wrong name? If so, probably call the assessor’s office and ask the procedure. If you are not getting taxed you might have more work figuring it out. Let us know if we can help some more. Lots of knowledge in this group.
Jim Greaver - the Marcellus is definitely still producing, and there are leases being taken in lots of counties. I think that Philip D was using a phrase that the “vultures” he mentions will use to try to scare you into selling.
Nancy, I called the Assessor’s Office and they said that there records didn’t show her name. I also asked about my father’s mineral rights for the same property, who is deceased. She said that nothing showed up for tax problems. If it was lost due to taxes, would the records indicate it. We have other members in the family that have rights on this property.
Do we have to go there and review in person.
Thanks
Is it possible to review Doddridge County’s tax list on the internet to find the names listed?
The knowledge in this group is outstanding. We want to thank all of you for your help
Nancy the “take it or leave it” attitude covers a lot of folks who hold a few acres. Unless you are the sole owner of a tract of good size that the company wants, that “take it or leave it” attitude comes up more often than not. I remember the first time 2 land agents sat at our kitchen table. They said we are giving you 12.5 and 1200.00 and we told them we had some questions about leasing. They said: “ask all you want but, we are still only giving you 12.5 and 1200”. That was when things turned sour. It did not get much better over the next couple of years unless, you were on the company side. The partition suit was the last straw for us and we will not forget that in our lifetime. My assessment in in this whole matter would be: We were lied to, threatened, given misleading info from agents and company lawyers, hassled, apologized to for unprofessional agents. Basically not much we did not go through with these people. I know that we were the exception…Right
One thing that Nancy and I have discussed is taxes on mineral rights. The question that we all will need to know is, will the Clerks office or oil companies get them figured out? There are many owners out there that are paying the taxes for every heir in their family. Some don’t even know who or where the heirs are. So basically you or I have been paying taxes on their property for years. This is not an issue if the property has not been drilled and the taxes are small. Fast forward and the oil company drills 2 horizontal wells on that property and then the taxes go up a lot. Here you are still with the tax ticket and there are 10, 15 or 20 other heirs who never pay a dime. That is an issue we all need to find out the answer too. I am going to try and get those answers this summer if possible. If I hit a dead end, then I am going to be very upset to say the least. I guess we could put a lien on everyones interest, if we can’t get separate tax tickets for everyone. If anyone has researched this please share your findings. Thanks
Charlene- thanks so much for that link! And DT… your situation sounds dreadful and I feel badly for you and your family. Thanks for the info on the traffic, too AND the taxes! Nancy, it’s nice to know what to look out for in the future, tax-wise. Between the taxes and the deductions on my royalties, my net will probably be far less than I had hoped. I really hadn’t counted on these deductions being 1/3 to 1/4 of the gross. Arnold…I have been told that I have 4 DO’s coming in August or September too, so I know they are still drilling some. And I’ve seen quite a few permits come through last week… a lot of them from EQT. I did read somewhere that forced pooling may allow the mineral owners to be in a better position to negotiate a gross lease? Agree, DT, with our comments regarding small acreage, I am in that position. Happy 4th everyone!
There has been an increase in truck traffic on US RT. 50 in the last month. When the companies “cut back” traffic was less and leasing was less. You have to realize these companies leased a lot of property. Makes sense that they needed to do something with it. They started drilling and then waiting. The waiting is the start of the next wave. That wave will begin when they get most of their current leases drilled and hopes of a forced pooling bill. When they get that, then the rest of the desirable properties will be obtained by law. Sounds like an economics plan??
DT - I suspect you are right and the companies will put all of their considerable resources into squeezing every last dime. I know that Antero is a publicly held company - be nice to get a mineral owner on THAT board of directors:)
I don’t know how they could possibly keep up with it all. Overworked and understaffed in that courthouse. Not to mention folks double dipping folks. (i.e. paying my dead grandfather royalties and reporting it to the state, thus creating a new tax ticket…which wasn’t paid…then sold at auction.) It is hard to pay taxes on something when you have been dead for 30 years and your will was filed with the county, but it has been done! SMH
Steph, it sad how all of these people play the system thinking no one will ever find out. UNTIL, the oil/gas company starts digging into the records. THEN, it all comes out that someone has been scamming people. Sounds a lot like a crook doesn’t it? I imagine there are lot’s of people getting checks that were going to heirs who are now deceased. Unless the oil/gas company was notified, the check would keep coming to them until they were told of the death. The next person inline would have to supply documents to get it changed. A lot of scenarios here for this stuff.
Charlene Crutchfield, thanks for the link. That looks like the delinquent tax list, which we hope not to be on!
DT, Thanks for the information about traffic. Very valuable observation, and I agree with your interpretation of it. They keep pushing for the forced pooling bill, and have that in their planning. Also, you’re right about the fact that they have plenty of land to drill already, with the low gas prices currently. A lot of waiting and seeing for those of us either already leased and not drilled yet, and those of us with unleased property waiting and hoping for that call, and hoping for some serious negotiating with the company instead of their “take it or leave it” attitude.
Thanks Arnold for the info. Good to hear that things eventually happen!
J.G. A Happy 4th to you. The last forced pooling or integration bill presented, makes it sound good for deductions. I believe the companies will go around that and still charge lessors for anything they can. They always change or add a word in there to get what they want. The companies and big owners would not be in favor for the bill, if it did not benefit them. The bill would be used in favor of the company when, the monies that were paid in the area for leases becomes the average that the panel uses. Most of those who signed early signed for the minimum. Don’t think the company lawyers won’t throw a stack of bonus and % lease papers down showing the low payments that were paid in the forced pooled owners area. That will become the average and guess what they will get? The minimum by law if you do not come to terms.
they have them on the internet i found this one. its not 2014 but it should be listed soon just type in this link with 2014 instead of 2013.
http://thedoddridgeindependent.com/joomla2/index.php?start=8
Received Two D. O within the last 5 day’s from Antero. Dotson 1-2 and piggot 1-2. Both had the Market Enhancement Clause, but both were for small acreage, however, "in these times “it all add’s up”. Both wells were leased in 2012, takes a long time for things to happen with Antero.