AboutJames H. McConnell, CPL Expertise READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ASKING ME A QUESTION
I will try to answer questions about oil & gas leases, minerals, royalties, and servitudes, if the questioner has provided a good description of the lands. I require a section, township and range for any land not it Texas. I require a survey name and an abstract number if the lands are in Texas. I will answer questions about offers to lease or purchase mineral interests only if all terms of the offer are in the question, including the term, the royalty and the amount offered. Failure to provide this information will result in the question being rejected.
I have answered more than 2300 questions on this site and get as many as fifty in one day. I do not have the time nor am I inclined to deal with detailed questions requiring an attorney. I am not a substitute for an attorney. If you do not write in a cognizant form, I will reject your question. If you have done real research and have a question I find interesting, I will answer it. If you haven't done any research on your own, I will not do it for you.
If you do not rate the first answer, do not send a follow up, because I will reject it. If my time means so little to you that you feel that you cannot take your time to rate an answer, I do not have time to answer another question.
Experience I have been a Professional Landman for more than thirty five years. I have drilled and operated oil & gas wells in Louisiana and Texas and an familiar with the rules and Regulations of the Texas Railroad Commission and the Louisiana Department of Conservation. I have testified in court as an expert witness.
Question My husband had Royalty interest on some land in Texas. He passed away in l993. I recently filed paperwork with the clerk of court In Hopkins County, TX, where the land is located, giving all the necessary information to show that I am now heir to the land. I am his wife (widow). Someone told me that it would be helpful to file an affidavit there giving all pertinent information about me (addess, etc.) and the name and address of my son. Could you please tell me what I should include in this affidavit. Can I prepare myself and have two people witness and then have notarized? I would appreciate any info you can give me regarding this.
Answer Have prepared an Affidavit of Death and Heirship if there was not a will or the will was not probated, sworn to and executed by someone competent and knowledgable about the facts. It's a good idea to have a corrobaratting affidavit filed as well by some competent person that basically says, that what the first affiant said was true.
Include all marriages and divorces and all children born in or out of wedlock, including any that were deceased as infants or children. If an heir is deceased, list all of their marriages, divorces and children.
In intestate successions the law has already conveyed to the heirs what they own. The Affidavit shows who they are and why.
