This is a little different type question on the subject but I welcome any feedback.
Around 1957 plus or minus, I was living at home in Fresno when a man came to the door inquiring about oil and gas rights to some property in Coalinga. I was in College at the time and remember the incident but not the follow up. My Mother said we had some oil and gas rights in Coalinga and that was the end of the conversation. I never heard another word and as executor of the estate found nothing in the trust assets and assume the rights were sold-----or maybe forgotten about when the asset list was established. With the currrant activity I am curious as to what happened to that lease. All I know is that it was in Coalinga nothing more.
How would I proceed to find out the status when I don't have a parcel or section number just Coalinga!
The only method that I know of is to conduct what is called a grantor/grantee title search with the Fresno County Recorder's Office. You can trace title using your mother and/or father's name to see if you can find documents that show if you had mineral rights and what may have happened to them.
A professional landman can conduct such searches for you. This is their expertise, among other title issues. Such a search, however, would be costly given that you have nothing to go on but your name.
Some of this work can be conducted online via the Recorder's office.
Good luck!
Is it costly because of expertise required or the time involved? I have the time to search documents. I am not completely without info, I do know it was in Coalinga! If I can conduct searches on line that would be great. Downtown parking is a hassle. Thanks for the info.
It would be costly for a landman to conduct the initial search. You can do some of it online, but you can't look at the documents only an abstract showing the names of the grantors and grantees and the name of the document. It might help with an initial search but you will likely have to go to the Recorders' office to look at the documents.
Mr Cole,
I have only recently begun learning about mineral rights, but here's what I can offer:
-- Coalinga was the first big oil strike in CA. It's been a very productive oil region. You can look this up on the internet, e.g. search Coalinga, CA, and Oil.
I had a conversation yesterday with an employee in the Fresno County Accessor's office, mapping section.
Based on that conversation, I can say:
-- You could try finding a record of your family's title with the Fresno County Recorder's office, but chances are, you will need to engage a title search company to do that research for you, as Ms. Pledger has said (below).
-- The County Assessor's office only keeps records on properties that have produced or are producing taxable income activity.
If you have never heard from the Fresno Accessor, it may be because your family transferred title, or that no oil production has ever been done on the property.