For those of you who have boxes of paper mineral data that you inherited from your ancestors, here is a talk that I gave at the US NARO convention in October of 2022.
If you like paper and it works for you, stick with it. If you have children that you want to teach and if they are like mine, “they don’t do paper”. This is perhaps a helpful way to organize your paper and also go digital.
We are a family that owns minerals and has the basic computing software, so this is a basic organization outline that uses those tools. The pros have their own systems and software that are quite sophisticated that works well for them.
This is a system that works for us, helps us to get paid in a more timely fashion, keeps all the government entities and our accountants happy and helps us mirror our paper documents with the same digital structural system. We have been tweaking it for ten years, so more tweaking to come I am sure.
Consider this a Christmas gift to make your lives just a bit easier as you steward the resources that you have graciously been given or have purchased. I am also including a handy list of websites that you might find helpful. (Note that data template document is copyrighted so please abide by those rules.)
Hope it helps! There are file structures that match my geology training and experience from my first career oil company life and my brother is the numbers guy, so files that match his expertise and career in the financial world. We tried to cover all the bases and make a structure that we both could understand to use and teach our children. We were fortunate to inherit very organized files from our grandfather and our parents, so we did not have to start from scratch. Our paper files mirror our digital files. We work almost exclusively in the digital world now, so trying to get those old files scanned is a project for the ages.
It definitely helps! BTW, not sure if you’re familiar with Myers-Briggs, but from your knowledge and organizational skills, I’m guessing you must be either an ISTJ or ISFJ?
Thanks so much! This came at a perfect time. I have spent some time trying to figure out how to get organized and what I need with me vs. somewhere secure. We travel the country full time and getting ready to tackle the project of “lightening” the boxes of paperwork we drag around with us. Thanks so much! You are awesome! Sorry we missed the Live presentation! Would love to be there when you present again!
I’ve been using digital resources and scanning for several years now. I run into trouble when files are not available electronically as county records typically only go back to the early 90’s. Do you have any advice as to how to search at the courthouse or any other way to obtain those records? My grandfathers were buying minerals in the 1940’s.
Old records are a continuous problem. If you really want them, you will have to go to the courthouse and pull the abstract books and then the exact book and pages and pay to get copies. Then scan them. You could also hire a landman for a day or two and get him/her to do it for you.
Loved the presentation and excel file (links/resources).
Had a good chuckle at “clay tablets” and getting a 14-year old for computer help. So true. Also, it is amazing how much computers have changed - Floppies, Memory Sticks, hard drives, external drives, now the “cloud” (dropbox or onedrive). Always tweaking - to fit the workflow. PIcked up a few tips from seeing your file directory system.
For me, it has been easy to go digital going forward, but the real challenge is the “old” stuff, to scan boxes of papers, then the filenaming, having appropriate file directories to file them away, then indexing the list of Leases, Division Orders, Purchasers, etc. There are always some “odd” clay-tablet that requires a rosetta stone to interpret! It takes time to move into the 21st century.
Thank you SO much for this information! I inherited boxes of information from my grandfather going back to the 1940’s! I’m trying valiantly to organize for my son to inherit but I’m not super tech savvy.
Martha, I met a lady in our neighborhood that has been conversing with you for a few years I believe she said. I thought it was very cool that here in NC I have a neighbor who has interest in one of the same counties as I in OK and who knows you! Your knowledge and willingness to share is so much appreciated by so many!!
Do you have any tips for unclaimed property in OK? I’ve been trying to get money in my grandfather’s name now for almost 5 years and with two lawyers!! I’m sure I’ve spent more trying to get it than what is there.
Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.
Since they do not want to give money to the wrong people, you must provide either probated wills, trust documents or affidavit of heirship papers that have been duly filed in the counties where the minerals are located. It can be tedious.
A very useful website is www.okcountyrecords.com It is free to look. You can join for a month and copy digitally everything that you find and download it. I use the Advanced search button and look for everyone I can think of (and misspellings). If an OK county is missing, they usually have their own website.
Thank you. My issue with the unclaimed property in OK is that I have provided them with everything they have asked for with one exception. They have the family tree, my grandfather’s will, my grandmother’s will - probated, and a few other documents to prove heirship but they also want the deed. My grandfather got these deeds back in the 1940’s and we don’t have all of them. When my grandmother died all the minerals were divided between my dad and his sister. Somewhere along the line this section got dropped out of our trust but my cousin’s still have it in their trust. New Dominion - the company that put the money with the state - has agreed we are indeed my grandfather’s heirs and has started paying us again but the state won’t. Every time I give them what they want they up the anti and want something more. I have been working on this for five years with lawyers!! So frustrating!! Right now it’s just to the point that OK doesn’t have the right to keep the money. I really think it’s only about $1,000 or so.
Do you remember talking with a Linda in NC? She is the lady in my neighborhood that told me she converses with you. She told me she learned from you about different ways to negotiate leases. I’ve recently received in the mail a letter wanting to lease and giving me 4 options. I’ve never had one come in the mail like that before. We have always had a landman call to negotiate. Is this the new way companies are commonly doing lease?
Thank you so much for your guidance! You are helping so many people sharing your knowledge and not asking for anything in return! Bless you!
Have you looked on www.okcountyrecords.com? They have updated info and may go far enough back now. A landman should be able to find the deeds if you cannot find them on the digital sites.
