I have a family member who is under lease with an energy company. For various reasons we need to sell their oil/gas interest. However - the deed is still in a deceased relatives name. There are no title attachments. Just the energy company themselves who reached out to them claiming they inherited from a long deceased relative. We’ve gotten an offer from the company to buy the interest but will this work if their name isn’t on the original deed?
When you say, “the deed is in a deceased relative’s name” do you mean that the buyer wants you to SIGN as the deceased relative? Which is illegal and pretty much fraud.
Or do you mean that the deceased relative owned the property? If that is the case, then depending on if they died testate (with a will) or intestate (without a will) then it would follow the appropriate path to the living inheritors of that relative.
Hope that helps. And of course make sure you get a second opinion as there are a lot of shady companies out there and I’ve seen plenty of owners being ripped off selling at fractions of a dollar when they dont really understand what they are selling
If there is a legal line of ownership, an heir can sell their ownership interest without their name on original deed/document. Of course seller’s name would be on a deed if it were to be sold.
Are you sure you want to sell?
We had the same situation- not selling but passing the lease on. The lease was on my father’s will. Each of us girls inherited shares. Then we had to probate the lease in the state of the mineral rights. After that, we are now the owners. We probated it quite a while after his passing so don’t let that stop you.
Also, any buyer would typically handle any title and curative (filing the above) necessary for them to feel comfortable purchasing.