# Inherited royalties, want to sell, landman or lawyer first?
**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088
**Category:** Lewis County, WV
**Created:** [February 25, 2025, 1:38pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088 "2025-02-25T13:38:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ljwolfe](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/ljwolfe)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2025, 1:38pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/1 "2025-02-25T13:38:06Z")
My mother inherited 3.87% royalties on three wells in Lewis County, and rather than split the few-dollars-a-month three ways the heirs want to sell.
I’ve already done a bunch of research and know exactly which wells, used the old “25 poles to a black oak on a rock” description to find the land, and found deeds going back to at least 1869 before my 3rd great-grandfather bought it in 1872 (I’m a genealogist, digging into old records is what I do for fun).
Now my question is, should I hire a landman first, or a lawyer first, or look into both at the same time? I’m in California, so doing anything in person is not an option.
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@TayNeatCPA](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/TayNeatCPA)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/2 "2025-02-25T16:21:34Z")
My concern is that the cost of a landman or lawyer will exceed the value of the minerals. You mentioned the production only yields a few dollars a month. It may be more pragmatic to seek a buyer, or to perhaps donate the mineral interest, instead.
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### Author:  [@Nick-TBM](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nick-TBM)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2025, 2:39am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/3 "2025-02-26T02:39:30Z")
Hi @ljwolfe. I would recommend you explore a few buyers in WV and compare their offers. I know of a few, but just to set your expectations, wells in production will typically get you 3 years’ worth of payments from many buyers.
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### Author:  [@ljwolfe](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/ljwolfe)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/4 "2025-02-26T02:40:28Z")
My concern about trying to find a buyer myself is that currently the rights are (I think) in a trust, which I don’t know if that complicates things, and even if they’re not worth much I don’t want to get ripped off by being a clueless noob.
Who would one donate to, and how would one go about that? I might be able to get the other two heirs to agree depending on who we’re donating to.
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### Author:  [@TayNeatCPA](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/TayNeatCPA)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2025, 4:03am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/5 "2025-02-26T04:03:09Z")
Depends on the type of trust and the other assets in the trust.
You can donate the rights really anywhere. Church, foundation, etc. A lot of people choose to donate the rights to a cause that was important to the deceased.
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### Author:  [@tim\_dowd](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/tim_dowd)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2025, 8:27pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/6 "2025-02-26T20:27:41Z")
In addition to a church or a foundation, a school or university.
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### Author:  [@system](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2025, 1:38pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/inherited-royalties-want-to-sell-landman-or-lawyer-first/80088/7 "2025-05-26T13:38:36Z")
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