Noted there isn’t a specific Ouray County thread, so General Colorado it is. It probably has more to do with a lack of drilling or activity in that area. Anyway, I received mineral rights from a family estate after the patriarch passed away; it was split up between siblings in four breakouts. We’ve gotten a proposal recently and one two years ago. At the time we weren’t interested in selling, but also had no idea what it meant.
So after reviewing the county assessor tax papers and website (GIS map), I felt like every time I started digging, I’d get different plots or even different information.
The tax bill states 260 acres with 70 acres being assessed/taxed. Does that mean I own 260 acres but only 70 acres are viable for minerals? It changed from 80 to 70 from the 2023 to the 2026 assessment. Would all the value in proposals account for the taxable 70 acres in the bid but still transfer all 260 acres in purchase?
Last question has to do with landowners. If a ranch has land rights, knowing they have no control of mineral rights, do they actively have interest in purchasing to protect their land, or is it something they usually only deal with if something comes up? Has anyone reached out to owners for a potential proposal? Is it worthwhile to try and discuss with landowners first?