Expert: Steven Taylor - 6/13/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi there!  My grandmother recently passed away and as we were going through her paperwork, we found some Canadian stock certificates.  I have looked online for current e-mails, addresses, or contact information but I am having no luck as to who to contact in regards to these certificates.  My grandmother tried in 1983 to find out the worth of the stocks, but was not successful since the addresses for the Exchange Agents came back "undeliverable."  She had written three Exchange Agents: 1)  Prudential Trust Company Ltd. (Mercury Oils Ltd. stock) 2)  Crown Trust Company (United Oils Ltd. stock) and 3) Canada Permanent Trust Co. (Royalite Oil Company stock).  They were all of her father's stocks that she took legal control over once he passed away and now that she has passed, we are just looking to see if there is any worth to them!  We are in California so any information you might have in the way of addresses or e-mails would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks so much, Stefanie

ANSWER: Stefanie, from the information I have available, these are all complicated situations.

Mercury Oils was acquired by City Petroleums on the basis of 1 share of City for each 3.5 shares of Mercury. I have no information on what ultimately happened to City.

United Oils did a complicated transaction where they transferred holdings of another company to Cygnus and then distributed the Cygnus shares received to shareholders on the basis of 1 Class A and 3 Class B of Cygnus for each 10 shares of United. Cygnus was later acquired by Home Oil on the basis of $29.25 cash OR 1.17 of a Consumers Gas preferred share for each share of Cygnus. United was later acquired by Home Oil as well for 75 cents per share. Consumers was later acquired by British Gas.

Royalite became Gulf Oil on the basis of 1.2 Gulf for each Royalite share. Gulf became Gulf Canada, which split into 3 companies - Gulf, Abitibi Price, and GW Utilities, all of which are also long gone and acquired.

Because of the complicated nature of each of these companies, I suggest you contact a broker to help you sort them all out.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for the information Steven!  One last thing because I have no idea when it comes to these things...When you say to contact a broker, I have no idea how to do that.  What kind of broker do I need to contact for such a situation?  Is there a broker you would suggest because like I said before, we as a family, have no idea!
Thanks so much,
Stefanie

Answer
Stefanie, I cannot recommend someone to you, as you would probably want someone in your location. Did your grandmother have a brokerage firm she worked with? If so, I would start there first. If not, you might ask your friends or family for a reference, or try your bank if they have an investment division.