Patentee sold homestead retaining 1/2 of the all minerals (160 nma). Patentees had one child who married but no children w/ husband dying first. Industry took several oil and gas leases in the 1970's and 1980's from the daughter. The daughter died three years ago in a nursing home. A professional advocate group assisted in the burial proceedings. I suspect the lady died intestate and on Title 19 for the nursing home. Difficult to get any information because I am not a relative. Would the nursing home somehow have any rights to these minerals. If so what is procedure. Any other help would be appreciated.
Gerald you'd need to consult a WY estate attorney for a proper answer. Yet I doubt the laws of inheritance would give the nursing home any claim to the women's minerals (unless she left it to them via a deed or will).
In many states the deceased women's heirs would be found following her family tree. If she dies without issue, spouse, siblings, or parents, they would seek the living heirs of her parent's siblings, or if necessary the parent's cousins, 2nd cousins, etc... If proper title to the minerals never left Dad's name (the homesteader) they'd following this process solely up his family tree (not including her Mom's). It may require going back many generations yet eventually you'd find his or her closest relatives who descended from a common ancestor. They (probably multiple parties) would be the proper legal heirs to these minerals.
There's always a relative to be found. Sometimes a distant relative but there is someone!
Check the law and then hire a genealogist would be my suggestion
Laws of descent and distribution would take effect.
Gerald,
More than likely the woman’s assists were evaluated when ahe entered the nursing home. It is possible that they were turned over to the state for her care. Check with the state to see if they are claiming.
Joan
In Texas, when a person dies with no Will and no surviving spouse, blood descendant (to include an adopted child or blood descendant of an adopted child), parent, sibling, or blood descendant of sibling, then two moieties are created, one for each parent's family. A moiety is an Old English word meaning "ownership interest," or something like that. Basically, a title researcher would go "up" each parent's family tree and come back "down" to that parent's siblings and THEIR descendants if any parent's sibling had already died to determine ownership. Cases like these are extremely rare, probably less than 1% of cases. Wyoming probably has a similar law, check the Probate Code there. No, the nursing home would NOT be entitled to ANY part of the Decedent's estate (at least in Texas), unless they are mentioned as a Beneficiary in her will.