I have recently found a quit claim deed from 1991. I have 2 wells that were plugged in Coaling, CA. I’m trying to find out when production ceased & where royalties (if any) were sent. I contacted the oil company from then; they have no info with the api/ss# I gave them. Any suggestions on where to go from here?
You might try the CA oil and gas commission
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Hi I’m hoping you can answer a few more questions. I found a summary of my wells on the above sites you gave me earlier. Both wells were plugged before they were ever deeded to my sister & I.
why would someone quit claim the mineral rights if there wasnt any gains?
If there were royalaties & one tenant claimed it & withheld information from the other tenant in common, is there a way to find this information.
Do I need a title company if I already have the quit claim deed?
I feel like I”m going in circles
thank you in advance Netta Nicacio
You may want to search California unclaimed property for your name and predecessors in title.
Unclaimed Property (ca.gov) I doubt the company would have paid just one tenant in common if it was aware of the existence of others, though unlikely it is likely. As Hamlet said to Horatio " There are more things in heaven and earth". If the co-tenant was not found then it is likely that the company paid into unclaimed property where the co-tenant lived or to the unclaimed property of the state where the company is located. Good luck.
This post is not legal, tax or investment advice. Reading or responding to this post does not create an attorney/client relationship.
are a title & quit claim deed one in the same?
No, a title and a quit claim deed are not the same thing, although they are related to each other.
Your title in property is a description of your actual ownership. For instance, you may be the owner of home that is subject to a mortgage or other liens. It may also be subject to restrictive covenants if part of a development. Once the liens are paid off you have a full title. In oil and gas context, you may have ownership of a property which may be subject to oil and gas leases or pooling orders. Also, it is likely that you only own a fraction of the minerals contained in a legal description. Still a fractional ownership may provide you with rights to lease any unleased portion whether or not other fractional owners agree or participate.
A quit claim deed, on the other hand, is a legal document that transfers ownership of a property from one person to another. The person transferring ownership is called the grantor, and the person receiving ownership is called the grantee. Unlike a warranty deed, a quit claim deed does not provide any guarantees or warranties about the property’s title or ownership history. It simply transfers any ownership interest the grantor has in the property to the grantee.
In other words, a quit claim deed is a legal document used to transfer ownership of a property, while a title describes the actual ownership. It’s important to note that a quit claim or even a warranty deed does not guarantee that the grantor actually owns the property or that the property is free of liens or other encumbrances.
In short, just because someone gives you a deed doesn’t necessarily mean that you have clean title to the property.
This post is not legal, tax or investment advice. Reading or responding to this post does not create an attorney/client relationship.
late reply; thank you for the breakdown. Where would I obtain an actual title? Do I need to go to a title company? or can I do it myself? I’ve learned to navigate the recorder’s office both online & in person. thank you
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