EXACTLY! I would NOT bet against the Bass Family, not in a Texas courtroom, that’s for sure. These are some very well respected persons in the Fort Worth community.
Undoubtedly, there are several operators “skimming” from royalty owners, but as you said, unless one can hire a forensic accountant and a bank of lawyers, what to do? I am pretty sure that I got short-changed on my last royalty payment from CHK, but it was for royalties on less than an acre. So the lawyers would eat up any difference in royalties in the first phone call!