Oil and gas attorneys help!!!!!

Ownership and Title
1

I received a lease in august of 2014. I didn’t sign it because I didn’t agree with some of the wording on my lease etc. My uncle and my sister also received leases. They signed their leases and they received money because they did find oil from what I was told. I haven’t spoke to my uncle or my sister since my mother has been deceased (not my choice). I have been researching all of this because I am in a situation now that I need money really bad and I thought I would see if any was owed to me or not. I tried to contact my uncle through email, of course he didn’t responed. Several days after that I get on the computer to see if there has been any activity in Smith County with new leases and such under my uncles name…Oct 2017 he filed paperwork that stated my mother gave him 1/2 interest of her land and mineral ownership to my uncle back in 1978 for the tracts of land that I got the oil and gas lease for…However, I received a lease for it never signed it and now he has filed paperwork with that same piece of paper from 1978 and now he has added to it…listing all the land that was inherited which I know that my mother wouldn’t of given him her 1/2 and left me especially with nothing because she was always saying…I would be well taken care of and to watch out for my uncle if she passes away before him because he will try and cheat me out of anything he can. My uncle just signed a new lease on the same piece of land that was leased in 2014. However, My sister didn’t sign a new lease and what I have been told is they are doing everything in my uncles name and he is cutting checks to her…He filed paperwork stating that he has insurance on the estate or something like that and he is the name of the insured. My mother did have life insurance and teacher retirement. I was the sole beneficary on the teacher retirement he was the beneficary on the life insurance because she wanted him to pay off all her bills and then split the rrest 50/50 between my sister and myself. PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE ON HOW I SHOULD HANDLE THIS…

2

Hire any good attorney. This is more than an oil and gas problem. If you did not trust your uncle, why did you sit back and let this happen. BE AGGRESSIVE!!

3

Hi, Melissa -

Sounds like quite a mess. They happen in families sometime.

If your Uncle is not communicating with you, then you will probably need to hire an Attorney to deal with him.

There are several that contribute here on The Forum and I know of a couple of others that I could advise. But first you should collect as much information about the properties and wells involved as you can.

If you can provide me with the legal description(s) of the land and the names of everyone who might be receiving royalties, I'll see what I can dig up for you about oil and gas production.

One thought: If your Mother left a Well and it was probated, then who inherited what from her would be set out in it. Do you have a copy of it?

What was the paperwork from 1978 that your Uncle filed in 2014? An assignment from your Mother to him?

Hope this helps -

Charles Emery Tooke III

Certified Professional Landman

Fort Worth, Texas

4

I really honestly try and think positive and I guess I was hoping that he hax

5

Had gotten a little nicer and more trustworthy since he is way older now. However, I have learned that is not the case and I didn’t think anything about him trying to refile paperwork from 1978…and attach all these tracts of land that I knew nothing about and attached the letter from 1978 stating my mother gave him 1/2 of her interest etc when she did that but only on one particular tract of land NOT all of it. My grandmother passed away then my mother then my grandfather. Well, that land was inherited from my grandparents and then it went to my mother and uncle. My mother passed away and now it should be my uncle, my sister and myself. Thank you for your input.

6

Until we can see the paperwork we can't really advise you further than to hire an attorney. But I can tell you that a letter, if that is all it is, would not convey title.

I need your legal descriptions to look the properties up.

7

Melissa, you write a bunch to read, so it's a little hard to figure out what all you want. But, for us to give you any advice, you will have to give us some information to work with. If you want our help, then write down that legal description and send it to us.

Let's see if we can help you get through this mess.

Let us hear from you.

Thanks,

Pat

8

Thank you so much. I am sorry for the late reply. 73.276 acres of land, part of the Vibson Moore Survey , A-15 Smith County texas and being the same land describex in the general warranty deed dated June 19, 1998 from Theresa Ann Miller Rains to Cornelius Jacobus Family Limited Partnership, recorded in volume 4372, Page 204, Deed Records of smith county texasless and except 1.759 acres that lies within right of way of county rx no 119 leav8ng 73.276 acres of land. This is the tract that I received the lease on but, NEVER signed. There are several other tracts of land. I will get those to all of you once my kids get in bed tonight. Thank you all for your time and help!!! It really means alot and is very appreciated. All of the land was inherited. Inez Davis Gray gave it to my grandparents who are John Douglas Norton Sr. And Kathleen Jones Norton. When they passed away it was suppose to come to my mother Marilyn Norton Burchfield Bogle and my uncleJohn Douglas Norton Jr. My grandmother and my mother passed away in 2005 and my grandfather passed away in 2006. From what I understand they had multitracts of land and multi oil and gas leases. My sister and I should of inherited what was left to our mother.

9

Thank you so much !!! I truly appreciate your time and all of your help. I don’t know if my mother had a well. I know she had a life insurance policy and teacher retirement. I will try and research about a well. I will try and upload the paperwork that I have tonight

10

On some items on this website, getting free advice has some merit. However, you need more than free advice to handle the two or three items in question. Stated another way, even if you receive great free advice, its only going to do you a little good.

You need to hire an attorney. This problem is not likely to fix itself. I would highly recommend that you secure legal advice sooner rather than later.

11

Melissa,

Please see the attached.

There are no currently producing Wells in or near the V. Moore Survey, A-15. The few Wells that were successfully completed in the Survey over the years do not appear to have been very productive and none have been drilled since 1995.

I cannot tell where your 73.276 acres is located other than somewhere near County Road 119, which runs along the Northeast Boundary Line of the Survey.

The last Well that produced at all, the C. W. Resources - Alva Williams No. 2 (#31398 on the map), was back to the West, away from County Road 119, so I doubt your lands would have been involved with it.

There was one Well, the J-W Operating Jewel Miller No. 1, that was close to County Road 119 (# 31360 on the map) that produced between 1993 and 2000, but that may have been before your inheritance.

You can still hire an Attorney to look into the issue regarding the mineral interests you described, but there doesn't appear to be any royalties to fight over.

Wish I had better news -

Charles

298-A15WELLSMAP.pdf (56.2 KB) 299-A15WELLSTABLE.pdf (56 KB) 300-GOOGLEEARTHAERIALCORD119.pdf (250 KB)
12

C.W. Resources is who I got the lease from in 2014. I am pretty sure that piece of land you are talking about is ours but, I could be wrong. My uncle just recently signed a new lease for the same land…Thank you so much sir for your time and your advice.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT GIVES ME ADVICE…GOD BLESS…

13

C.W. Resources is who mailed me that lease in 2014.

14

Thank you so much for this information...I keep a journal every year and I just found my journals from 2014. In this journal I have #31398...written down...and beside it says...important # C.W. Resources landman gave me...told me to keep it for save keeping because he couldn't give me the number again. So, I am pretty sure that is for the oil and gas lease that I didnt sign in 2014. I see that the last production was oct 2017. So, can you tell me how long it was producing from feb 2006 (that is when my grandfather passed away). Thank you so mich for your help sir. I am a single mother and I am trying to come upw with some extra cash so, I can get legal advice.

15

Here you go! You'll have to do the math yourself.

And note that JW Operating had the well from time to time, they may have some money owed you as well.

297-ALVAWILLIAMSNO.2.pdf (420 KB)
16

Google for an Estate, Litigation Specialist attorney in your area. Ask for a free consultation.

Sounds to me like you are in an estate situation. Look at your 2014 O&G lease that you didn't sign and tell me who it is made out to (who is the Lessor?)

Don't you have a copy of your Mother's Will? Try to find a copy on TexasFile.com

Good luck,

Pat

17

It is made out to me....Melissa Page...and...the company C.W. Resources sent one to my uncle. John Douglas Norton Jr. And my sister Jennifer Heisel.

18

Thank you so much for all your help. My uncle has recently filed new paperwork...simple estate fee paperwork or something like that and it says insured and has his name. He also filed new paperwork recently with several tracts of land that I didnt even know about...added to the 1978 paperwork stating that my mother gave 1/2 of her mineral ownership land etc to my uncle...but, it wasn't even her land to give because she didnt get it until my grandparents passed away. Well, my mother passed away before my grandfather and so, when he passed away it should of gone to my sister, myself and my uncle. My mother in 1978 did sign a paper stating she gave him 1/2 of her mineral ownership and/or land on 1 tract of land that was given to her back then. Now, he has refiled that paperwork and added all the land tracts that he (that my sister and I should be apart of) inherited when my grandfather passed away in 2006. I don't know anything about the law or these types of things but, I DO KNOW HE IS TRYING TO SAY MY MOTHER GAVE HIM HER 1/2 back in 1978 which was true on only one tract of land that was given to her from Inez Davis Gray. But, it isn't true for the rest of the tracts of land because it wasn't even hers back in 1978...because Inez Gray Davis is the one that left most of the land to my grandparents and she didnt pass away until 1984 or 86. I will seek legal help and by the grace of GOD I will be able to get this situation taken care of...

19

I found this O&G Memorandum, which is made out to your sister, in TexasFile.com. It lists her name as Lessor, dealing with her sole and separate property, 302 Lover Lane, Terrell, Tx 75160 by C. W. Resources, Effective date: August 06, 2014

This lease is for 73.276 acres of land, more or less, a part of the Vinson Moore Survey, A-15, Smith County, Tx .....and being the same land described in General Warranty Deed dated June 19, 1998 from Theresa Ann Miller Rains to Cornelius Jacobus Family Limited Partnership, recorded in Vo. 4372, Pg 204, Deed Records of Smith County, Tx, LESS and EXCEPT 1.759 acres that lies within the ROW of County Rd. No. 119; leaving 73.276 ac. of land, more or less.

I had trouble trying to download a copy of the O&G Memorandum

I don't see the names of Rains and Jacobus mentioned in your previous posts. Maybe they might mean something to you.

Good luck,

Pat

20

No mam...your right I didnt mention those names...and...yes mam...that is my sister......I could screen shot the lease. I still have it and maybe that would be better...I dont know the names Rains or Jacobus...my grandparents were Norton's and Inez Davis Gray is the lady that gave my grandparents the land when she passed away...

296-newpaperworkaboutmineralownership.pdf (188 KB)