# Very new to this
**URL:** https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549
**Category:** Doddridge County, WV
**Created:** [November 6, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549 "2014-11-06T23:02:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hampton\_Thomas](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Hampton_Thomas)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/1 "2014-11-06T23:02:41Z")
Hi everyone. A couple of my brothers have received phone calls and letters from a Mary Beth Fleming from Anteros Resources in WV. Supposedly, because of our recently deceased stepmother, they are entitled to a share of the mineral rights for about 56 acres of land in Doddridge County. My sister and I have yet to get anything. I will be calling the numbers I have for the WV office as a follow up. Thinking it might be a scam, I Googled mineral rights scams and came across this website. One brother is getting legal counsel, but from the little online research I’ve done, this seems legit. Basically, I’m asking for any advice and/or resources to help me understand this better. Thanks, Hampton
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/2 "2014-11-07T00:00:52Z")
Read as much of this forum as you have time for. And try to have your siblings act together. And getting an oil and gas lawyer who practices in WV is important. Ask as many questions as you have. Glad you found this forum.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_G\_Robinson](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Richard_G_Robinson)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/3 "2014-11-07T01:14:10Z")
Hampton, I echo Nancy. Do not sign anything without having a knowledgeable O & G lawyer review the document. The legal jargon used by the industry usually does not mean what it appears to mean. And most are written so that your eyes will cross before you are through reading. Then they will slip in a sentence that changes the meaning of the previous paragraph. This is an industry where everyone is trying to get the best possible deal for themselves. Do not let your guard down. Also, not all lawyers operate to make sure the client gets the most help for the least cost. Welcome to the Oil and Gas business. Have fun.
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### Author:  [@Hampton\_Thomas](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Hampton_Thomas)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/4 "2014-11-07T01:39:22Z")
I’ve seen the name of a lawyer on this forum. I’ll look him up unless someone can recommend one.
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/5 "2014-11-07T03:33:35Z")
I use Kyle Nuttall. Very good attorney. Works with the companies and knows how to deal with them.
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/6 "2014-11-07T03:39:58Z")
Here is a link to a Technical Report “Hints on Negotiating and Oil and Gas Lease”
[Hints on Negotiation and Oil and Gas Lease](http://recenter.tamu.edu/pdf/229.pdf)
which should give you some things to think about: Hints on Negotiation and Oil and Gas Lease and another article Checklist for Negotiating an Oil and Gas Lease
[Checklist for Negotiating an Oil and Gas Lease](http://www.gdhm.com/images/pdf/jbm-ogleasechecklist.pdf)
These both were posted somewhere on this forum a couple years ago and I can’t find the link now. Not a substitute for an attorney but a place to start.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_L\_Stuart](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Arnold_L_Stuart)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/7 "2014-11-07T22:29:02Z")
Hampton: I agree with the advice from Nancy and Richard, they have guided a lot of folks on this forum on the right path including myself. But before going to see an Attorney I would ask some questions. Did your Mother leave a will or trust? Has the 56 acres ever been leased, if so (by whom)? Have the property taxes been paid? If so there should be a Statement of taxes due, and on that statement there is a ticket number, also the district that the 56 acres are in and a map and partial number. With that info you can call the Doddridge County Assessor’s Office (304-873-1261) and maybe they will check title for you. You probably know all of the above, but if not, in my opinion, it would be a good start. The Attorney is going to ask for this info anyway, so why not be prepared.
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2014, 1:53am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/8 "2014-11-08T01:53:32Z")
Arnold, if Hampton does not own any surface rights, there will not be a map and parcel number, just the district and acres and a watershed name, unless Doddridge does things differently to Ritchie and many other counties. I have heard that some West Virginia counties are starting to pair these things up, but that might take quite a lot of research in some cases. Anyway great advice asking the questions you asked.
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### Author:  [@Arnold\_L\_Stuart](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Arnold_L_Stuart)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/9 "2014-11-08T05:25:28Z")
Nancy: I have called the Courthouse many times using only the district, description and the ticket number, and have received help. You are correct about the Map and partial number. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/10 "2014-11-08T15:48:42Z")
You are correct, Arnold, about the ticket number etc. I think ticket number is easiest for the Assessor’s office to use. I haven’t been able to find an online database of Doddridge tax information that is free. Tyler and Ritchie have different versions but both are free and easy. If anyone hears about such a system for Doddridge please post.
However back to Arnold’s point: worth a call to see if they have anything for your name or your parent or other ancestor. Sometimes taxes remain in the name of someone who died many years ago with a family member paying taxes over the years.
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### Author:  [@Hampton\_Thomas](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Hampton_Thomas)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/11 "2014-11-08T16:28:42Z")
I want to thank everyone for all the great information. I still haven’t received any documents about this and maybe nothing will come of it, but I think if my brothers have something, my sister and I should also be involved.
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/12 "2014-11-08T17:59:04Z")
Might be best to ask the brothers to ask the Landman if they know about you and your sister, current addresses etc. Better if they come to you, than if you come to them. And not to be personal, but are your brothers full brothers with you and your sister? And also to make sure that they (all of you) are really entitled to interests due to death of your stepmother. Was she or your father the owner of the mineral rights? No need to answer this here, but I know of other situations (another county) where the stepchildren were entitled to stepmother’s interest due to the way wills were written, but others where they were not. Not saying that is the case here, but perhaps Antero sometimes finds somebody and later finds documents that indicate a different person is the rightful owner. And when there were no wills, the laws of WV for intestate succession apply for real estate (including minerals), no matter where the decedent lived, because the minerals “live” in WV.
The more you can find out the better.
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### Author:  [@Hampton\_Thomas](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Hampton_Thomas)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/13 "2014-11-10T23:54:47Z")
This was a great grandfather to my stepmother. Turns out there are at least 72 heirs. lol Certainly will not be retiring early. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Nancy\_Mosley](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/Nancy_Mosley)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/14 "2014-11-11T01:35:09Z")
True, with that many heirs!
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### Author:  [@system](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://www.mineralrightsforum.com/t/very-new-to-this/8549/15 "2018-08-15T00:07:24Z")