Our family has owned mineral rights on several pieces of land for over 100 years. Our great grandfather passed them along. Our parents and their parents kept taxes current for over 100 years. Sometime in 2003 on one tract and again in 2008 (on a 2nd tract), the courthouse started a 2nd "ticket" for taxation purposes under my father's name as "agent" and to that bill we have been paying taxes. They kept the ticket under my "great grandfather and heirs" name but we did not receive this bill. Well, my great grandfather and heirs tax billing went into foreclosure as we did not know about the switch and was sold in a land sale even though we have continued to pay taxes on the billing in my father's name as "agent". The courthouse tells us we have lost the mineral rights. The same thing has happened on the 2nd tract mentioned in 2008. We are just finding out about this.
Anyone have any remedies for this?
What county? I guess Doddridge since that is where you have posted. It sounds like it was the County Assessor's office that was at fault. Part of the foreclosure process should be to research the current heirs / owners and notify them by certified mail. All that (list of those notified) should be in the public records, as part of the deed where the transfer was made from the one foreclosed to the new purchaser. That would be the place to start.
Here is a website for the recent Doddridge records. Might be there
http://129.71.205.241/
I’ve been dealing w something similar. You can contest the deed for up to 3 years. An attorney suggested to me that it was 5 years for improper serving or the wrong owner (I don’t remember the exact term used and I don’t have my notes because I’m on vacation for holidays until Sunday. But there is something about 7 years in abandoned rights laws. http://www.legis.state.wv.us/wvcode/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=55&art=12A
The big issue will be finding a lawyer w the time.