When oil and gas interests pass down through generations, oil companies freeze royalty checks in "suspense" until deeds and heirship are proven in county courthouse records. As independent landmen, we trace courthouse deed records, build clear family trees, and guide you through the exact paperwork oil companies require to release your payments.
We research original deed books and mineral conveyances to establish clear chain of title across generations.
Unlike a family house or car, underground oil and gas rights can be divided among heirs indefinitely without being sold. A parcel owned by a great-grandparent in 1940 may now be split among children, grandchildren, and cousins across the country.
When an oil company drills a well, they cannot legally mail checks to anyone until the entire family tree is recorded in the county courthouse where the well sits. We assemble the missing records so your family gets paid.
We work directly with heirs, family executors, and estate attorneys to clear courthouse title defects and get royalties into pay status.
If an owner passed away without a will probated in court, two family friends or relatives sign a sworn statement detailing the family tree. Once recorded in county deed records, this is accepted by over 95% of operators to unfreeze royalty checks.
If there is a valid will and no unpaid debts against the estate, Texas law allows the will to be admitted to court as a "muniment of title." The court decree acts as a direct deed transferring ownership without requiring an executor or bond.
If your parent or relative lived in another state (like California, Florida, or Ohio) and their will was probated there, official court copies must be filed in the Texas or Oklahoma county where the minerals lie to be legally recognized.
Oil companies hold unpaid royalties in internal escrow ledgers when title is unclear. Once the courthouse paperwork is recorded, we work directly with Division Order departments to submit W-9s and transfer orders to release your accumulated funds.
Estimate how inherited acreage and royalties divide among surviving family branches, see individual ownership percentages, and calculate frozen royalty payouts.
| Total Deceased Owner Unit Interest (NRI) | 0.01250000 (1.2500%) |
| Each Heir's Royalty Check Interest (NRI) | 0.00416667 (0.4167%) |
| Normalized Net Royalty Acres (1/8th Basis) | 21.33 NRA each |
| Frozen Royalty Payout Per Heir | $6,000.00 |
| Estimated Date-of-Death Tax Basis Per Heir | $106,650 |
| Total Family Asset Value (Estimated Market) | $320,000 |
Includes complete asset breakdown, heir allocation table, suspense release checklist, and county recording steps.
Understanding these basic rules saves families months of frustration and prevents missed royalty payments.
Even if you and your family live in California or New York, the courthouse deed records of the Texas or Oklahoma county where the oil well sits govern your title. Paperwork must be recorded where the ground is.
When an owner passes away without a will, state descent laws divide separate mineral ownership equally among surviving children. If a child has passed away, their share passes to their children.
Inherited mineral rights receive a new tax basis equal to their market value on the day your relative passed away. This prevents massive capital gains taxes if you ever decide to sell or calculate depletion deductions.
Under Texas Natural Resources Code § 91.402, once an operator receives recorded deed or heirship records, they have 30 days to release your frozen royalties. If they delay, they owe statutory interest.
Share what you know about your inherited minerals, the deceased owner, or oil company letters. Our land desk will research county records and show you the exact steps to get your royalties paid.
Essential industry terminology, operational standards, and technical definitions.
The legal passage of real property subsurface rights through wills, trusts, or intestate descent across family generations.
Secondary court probate proceedings required in the state or county where real property sits when the primary probate occurred elsewhere.
Escrowed production revenues held by oil operators when deed chains show unprobated estates or missing heir transfers.
A simplified legal procedure under Texas Estates Code § 257 where a will is admitted to record as evidence of ownership without court administration.
Legal deed instruments transferring mineral assets into or out of testamentary or revocable family living trusts.
An undivided co-tenancy share representing an exact mathematical percentage of subsurface production.
Under Texas and Oklahoma law, a will has no legal authority to transfer property until it has been admitted to probate by an official court order or recorded in the county deed records. Oil companies cannot accept an unprobated will because they risk paying the wrong person if a newer will or undisclosed heir turns up later. We help you record the proper legal paperwork so the company can legally pay you.
Oil companies hold unpaid royalties on their internal ledger for up to 3 years. If the title is not cleared within that time, state law forces the oil company to send the money to the State Comptroller's Unclaimed Property Division. It is much easier to claim your money directly from the oil company before it gets handed over to the state.
Yes, in most cases! If an owner died without a will, or if more than four years have passed since their death, an Affidavit of Heirship is the standard, cost-effective method used across Texas and Oklahoma. Two family friends sign the document confirming the family tree, it is recorded in the county courthouse, and oil companies update their payment records.
Under federal tax law (IRC § 1014), when you inherit mineral rights, their tax value resets to fair market value on the date the family member passed away. If your grandparents acquired the land decades ago for almost nothing, this reset protects you from paying huge capital gains taxes if you ever decide to sell or take depletion deductions.
No. Everything can be handled remotely. We examine courthouse deed books, prepare the required documents, coordinate mobile notary signatures, record instruments with county clerks, and correspond directly with oil company Division Order departments on your behalf.