Located on the edge of the coalfields and coal-bed methane and natural gas formations in Southwest Virginia and Southern West Virginia, the firm of Altizer, McGraw and French PLLC and its predecessor firms have practiced mineral law for more than 100 years.
Analyzing the ownership of minerals and ancillary rights is a challenging and complex area of law. Establishing ownership often requires tracing the mineral title back to a Grant from the King or the Commonwealth or to a court established source of title. Often, because of the formation of current counties from larger earlier counties, multi-county courthouse records must be consulted. In establishing ownership, virtually every area of law is touched upon, such as trusts and estates, divorce, adoption, creditors’ rights and, of course, real property. It is not uncommon for a situation discovered to require a court’s intervention.
An integral part of mineral practice is the negotiating of transactions and the resulting drafting or review and interpretation of deeds and leases and other agreements. A familiarity with terms peculiar to the mineral industry is essential in such transactional work as is the ability to read and understand maps and engineering reports.
Call our experienced mineral attorneys at Altizer, McGraw and French PLLC at 877-695-0258. We can guide you through these complex areas of mineral law and provide answers and solutions regarding such ownerships.