I hope someone responds to this query.
My sister lives in Luling Texas adjacent to Gonzales County. She and her Husband own a large acreage there. She recently received an inquiry from some obscure firm asking if she wants to sell her land. She does not have mineral rights. Luling is in the Eagle Ford Formation and a recent article in the San Antonio Express indicated a renewed interest in this formation.
She will be hiring an attorney to represent the family but does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?
I'm certainly no expert, but I would imagine that the company's interest in her land will wane when they find out that she owns no mineral interest in the land. Any sale would be just like any large acreage real estate sale.
They already know she does not own the mineral interest ("rights").
Yes, cold offers for large acreage tracts are not uncommon, even without minerals. She should get an attorney involved both on the real estate transaction end and the estate planning end, especially with the fiscal cliff implications on the estate tax.