I’m looking for advice on how to go about paying any taxes that may be due on O&G rights that my family recently received an offer to purchase that we were previously unaware that we owned.
We have recently been made aware that this property has been in the family for several generations but we do not know who is currently paying the taxes on those rights and would like to make sure that they are paid to date.
Thank you in advance for any info
The simple answer is to visit the Assessor’s office and look up the particular parcel.
If the surface and minerals have not been severed (same owners of both), then someone should be paying those property taxes. If the tract’s ownership is split among various heirs, then it’s likely one of them is paying the taxes.
If in the past, the minerals were separated from the surface, then it is also possible that one of the heirs is paying the taxes on the minerals.
However, if the minerals and surface were separated, then it’s possible that the Assessor’s office may not be aware of that separation, and those minerals are not currently taxed. I ran across this in Monongalia County. The solution is what is called “Redemption” which the Assessor’s office can assist with. You fill out a form that is sent to the West Virginia Auditor’s Office. They will calculate the back taxes for five years and send you a bill. Once it’s paid, then the tract is now on the county’s tax rolls and you will get an annual property tax bill.
Again, the best place to start is at the Marion County Assessor’s Office.