I own mineral rights in Anderson County, Tx, currently not producing. I called the appraisal district to see how I could find out if they were producing. The lady told me if they were producing, I would need to advise them and they would add me to the tax rolls. Great, but how do I tell? My elder care attorney had transferred these rights into my name, and I have paperwork, so indicating, but this lady could not find anything in their records at least back through 2019. How would I find out.
In Cherokee County, Tx, mineral rights, also owned, I stumbled across $30,000 in funds that somehow ended up in Unclaimed Funds in the state of Louisiana, supposedly because the drilling company’s main offices were there and they were unable to reach us. Why? No clue, we have lived in the same place over 40 years. It was a nice surprise, but upsetting, calling attention to how little I know about this process.
Cathie: If the wells are producing AND if your ownership shows up correctly in the deed records AND if you have notified the lessee in the oil and gas lease (or their successor) of your interest and sent them a file-marked copy of your deed and a W-9, the oil company will send reports of production for each owner to the appraisal district and you will get a tax bill for that production. If you are not getting a bill for the production and you are not getting royalties, that is often an indication that there is no production or that the oil company does not know about your ownership. Contact the lessee named in the oil and gas lease (ask for the land department or division order department) and ask them if they show you as an owner and if your minerals are being produced. In addition, you can go to the Railroad Commission GIS maps and locate your property and see if there are active wells on the property.