This link was forwarded on to us from a reader at the Richland Hills Mineral Association. It's old, but definitely good advice.
The Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association reminds you to look at that check in the mail closely. If you happen to cash a check from a fraudulent outfit, you could lose your right to the minerals under your property.
Check it out .....
Beware the Fine Print
By David Duran (Taken from TLMA Newsletter, March 2005)
The next time your eyes lock on to the sight of a check you receive in the mail, make sure and read the fine print. There have been a rash of mineral rights scams circulating around in the past few years. Scammers target landowners with mineral interests, or people who receive royalties on mineral interests. The scammers can find lists of these holdings at any county clerkʼs office and use that as a starting point to mail out a wave of letters, hoping to fool at least some of their targets. The letter received from the scammer may have confusing wording, misleading the target to thinking theyʼre signing a lease, or something other than the intent to take ownership of the mineral interest. If the target then cashes an accompanied check, they lose their rights to the property. (Click here to read the whole story)
--David Wethe
