Families holding mineral rights lose battle in Nebraska Supreme Court (fracking wins!)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/families-holding-mineral-rights-lose-battle-in-nebraska-supreme-court/article_6a6fbd8e-788a-50e8-a976-7527610afb87.html

POSTED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014 1:00 AM
By Paul Hammel / World-Herald Bureau

LINCOLN — The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that families that have inherited potentially valuable mineral rights need to fully follow a state law in verifying such rights.

The case involved a dispute over mineral rights to land in Sioux County, in northwest Nebraska. In recent months, drilling crews there have been working overtime looking for new oil deposits that can be reached through fracking. The crews pay up to $100 per acre for the right to explore.

The renewed activity helped spark a lawsuit over whether some former Sioux County residents who had inherited mineral rights to land up to five decades ago had properly verified their claim to the mineral deposits or had abandoned them.

The state has a “dormant” mineral rights law that allows the owner of the overlying land to obtain the mineral rights through a court order if the rightful owners cannot be found and have abandoned their claim. The law was enacted to make sure title was clear and to avoid impeding mineral or oil development.

FULL story at link.

[newfie11]

1. Yep

Go to the courthouse and look it up. I did!

[Uben]

2. I've found out I have the rights to two properties!

Oil companies have contacted me wanting to look for oil or gas. These rights belonged to my deceased wife's aunt's husband who died back in the early sixties. I voted to reject the offer....fuck em, let em screw up some one else's land and water supply.
However, I found out that they only need 50% approval of the rights owners to drill, so they drilled anyway. I now get a check about twice a year for $150.

I understand some of those mineral rights owners might need the extra cash and may have a much larger percentage than I (mine's like .00012%), but I'm worried about who actually lives on the property right now. They may be all for it, but they might not be.
These leases are in Mississippi. I've never even been to Mississippi! I never knew the guy who obtained them and I have no idea how many mineral rights he had. There's really no way to find out short of going to court houses and searching.

I've worked in the oilfields in Texas. I don't trust any oilman. I've seen what they do to properties and I've seen how they subvert regulations.....daily!