Mineral Rights --- Check the e-mails below for such information for the HNP and surrounding areas

Gas drilling update --- thanks to Hardy who is a neighborhood leader for Cherry Creek (just north of Debbie Lane and east of Matlock): "Just got back from tonight's Arlington city council meeting. The result: drill site designated SUP10-4 behind Walgreens (Matlock/Turner Warnell) got DENIED. Vote was 8-1 (Mr Leblanc was in favor of drilling). That means there will be no drilling behind Walgreens, Taco Bell, and the other stores !!! Initially the representative of XTO spoke on the matter. There were quite a few people who spoke out against drilling at that location."

August 8, 2010

In March 2008, Heather Estates indicated that they own their mineral rights.

Dated January 10, 2008:

To Walnut Hills residents;

Received an e-mail from one of your residents concerning mineral rights. Walnut Hills has them and the family has been approached about bonus checks. The resident asked the question as to how to go about this process and what is acceptable. Given my short research on this, I'd first recommend that y'alls HOA be the front to the "landman" or drilling representative for negotiations. The HOA will have better negotiation leverage by acting collectively, rather than residents acting individually. Secondly, check out the following link (blog) that is supported by the Fort Worth Star Telegram. It provides insight as to what others are getting and experiencing with these negotiations. Go to http://startelegram.typepad.com/barnett_shale/ .

To the HNP Block Captains (others blind copied):

A resident asked about where and timing for the drilling site near Kings Mill --- as those folks also have their mineral rights. Larry Kinard (earlier e-mail is below) offered the additional information as follows; "The last I heard about the possible drilling site would be south of Kings Mill. They haven't said when it would happen. At the time we signed the lease which was early last year they said it might take 2 years before drilling would begin. We haven't heard anything from them recently.

Larry"

Greg Ajemian

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership

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Fellow HNP Block Captains (others blind copied);

Thanks to Larry Kinard (runs the Kings Mill HOA) ---- see his following message concerning mineral rights. Most probably know that Kings Mill is located south of Ragland and just east of Matlock.

Greg Ajemian

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership

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Greg, just for your information--Phase 1 and II property owners in Kings Mill do have mineral rights on their lots. We have leased our property for drilling at some point in the future. Our HOA board did the negotiating with the company.

Hope things are off to a good start with your Neighborhood patrol.

Happy New Year!!

Larry

----- Original Message ----
From: Jadzia-Greg Ajemian <jgajemian@charter.net>
Subject: HNP: More on Mineral Rights for HNP Property Owners
Dated January 8, 2008:

Fellow HNP Block Captains (others blind copied);

Based on a few e-mails and talking to a "landman" that researches deeds for the gas drillers, it is concluded that our residential properties within the HNP do not have mineral rights. These residential properties are generally located east of Matlock. I am not sure how far north this issue goes --- whether the Walnut Hills Addition also does not have mineral rights. However, if you haven't received letters about gas drilling by now, you probably don't have mineral rights. About six of you in Walnut Hills Addition receive this e-mail and should check your property deed for restrictions and look for the language shown below (previous message) in quotes. Again --- this may be important in case some property just south of Debbie Lane takes on a new drill site. I don't know if those property owners south of Ragland lack mineral rights. I do know that most property owners west of Matlock (Walnut Creek residents and residents to the north along 287) do own their mineral rights.

Back to our HNP, what does this mean for us? We won't have to worry about getting letters or checks from prospective drillers. It won't happen! Also, mineral rights are legally much stronger than surface land rights (that we have). Sometimes, this can be a real problem for surface land owners (like us) that could be subjected to drilling activities with little say as to how their property could be used as such. Fortunately for us, we are so well surrounded by residential properties that we will not have to worry about future encroachment on our properties within the HNP.

Anyway ---- I hope the above answers questions about mineral rights for us. Those interested in more info on the drilling should go to www.thebarnettshale.com or http://www.bseec.org/.

Greg Ajemian

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership

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Dated January 6, 2008:

Fellow HNP Block Captains (others blind copied);

I received an inquiry from one of our Block Captains on why we don't own our mineral rights like many other residential properties seem to do. This is in regards to royalties for Barnett Shale drilling and the letters that many homeowners are receiving. I checked my restrictions in my deed and among the utilities easements there is the following clause that tells me that I don't own my mineral rights ----- which would probably be the case for the rest of us.

"All the oil, gas and other minerals, royalties, bonuses, rentals, delay rentals, and all other rights in connection with same as set forth in instrument executed by William Sebree Wright, Sr. and wife, Marguerite Wright to R.E. Ragland, dated 5-26-50, filed 5-26-50, recorded in Volume 2198, Page 265, Real Property Records, Tarrant County, Texas."

Please pass along this message to your street residents to see if we have a real estate person, attorney, or someone experienced on this topic to help answer the question as to whether we own our mineral rights. They may also be able to tell us why some builders passed along the mineral rights and others didn't. This could be good to establish, because there's a potential of a new drill site to be located between Walnut Hills Addition and Debbie Lane.

This message has gone to about five residents within the Walnut Hills Addition and this should be of interest. Check your deeds to see if y'all have mineral rights!

Thanks!

Greg Ajemian

Heritage Neighborhood Partnership