ALOV and Northern Trumbull County- Updated Discussion to include BP Lessor's and Bonus money Payment's

Hello all!

 I have been doing a little research and speaking with friends and neighbors about forming a group to address the needs of those of us not yet represented by a landowners group.

This led me to call ALOV after hearing that they had accepted some acreage in Trumbull county.

I paid little attention to ALOV earlier as their website did not list Trumbull county as an area of interest, although the work they were doing was certainly of great interest to me.

 From what i gather there was a cut-off of June 30 for sign-up with ALOV, they extended that and also had a meeting at RD banks Chevy in Champion. This may not be news to some of you, but i had not come across the posting until after. The word i got from an individual at ALOV was that Chesapeake set a northern geographical cut-off in Trumbull county of St.Rt.88, again this may not be a newsworthy flash to some. Many landowners attended, more than expected according again to a source at ALOV, and signed up their acreage.

Now heres the news, ALOV has agreed to start a "Waiting List" of still more interested parties from areas north of St.Rt.88. If you call them with name, address and phone number they will put you on the list, and depending on level of interest, they may choose to represent us as a group in a similiar fashion, with the same or even better terms to Chesapeake, or another interested party.

So call up ALOV, their number is listed on their site www.alov.us , and ask to be included in their next go around. From where i stand why re-invent the wheel, they already have done the groundwork and have the attention of the industry on favorable terms, lets ask them to either start another "Pool" to include us, or come work with us to the same end.

If you have information to share, please join in the discussion, Thanks 

 Hello again to all my fellow Utica Shale Owners. I Just stopped in to ask if there were any who signed with BP from the ALOV Northern Trumbull county group, that resulted from these efforts, still around.

Has anyone had any conversations/correspondence from BP concerning title defects, or other issues that would delay payment or affect your lease, or gotten a check for Bonus money? 

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by tomvargo706 on July 24, 2012 at 8:38pm

Anyone here in the second group?

Permalink Reply by James Kerns on July 24, 2012 at 9:24pm

Hi, Tom, did you mean the second ALOV group? That group should have gotten paid, what about this time last year, right?

Permalink Reply by tomvargo706 on July 25, 2012 at 11:13am

The second alov group of trumbull that signed in the middle of may

Permalink Reply by C Middleton on July 24, 2012 at 10:22pm

http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/jul/24/banking-industry-in-region-re...

Banking industry in region realizes a surge in deposits because of shale

Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 25, 2012 at 10:37am

A neighbor of ours received payment a week ago Tuesday.  They had 10 acres.  My Mom has yet to receive her check.  She has two seperate plots of land though.  Both plots have gone through probate prior to all the shale talk.  So, there should be no worries of titles clearing.  As a matter a fact, I believe she received something in the mail from ALOV or BP that stated it was all clear.  Not sure exactly.  Sorry for the lack of details.

Permalink Reply by Debby Melvin on July 26, 2012 at 7:06am

I tend to agree with you, Fang.  It's been 4 months since this process started and the amount of checks that have been received is miniscule.  I understand that they will probably hold off paying the large parcels until the last possible moment so that the money they have set aside to pay us is collecting interest for them. 

I don't think that they are going to get all the checks mailed by the first of October.  I sincerely hope I'm wrong, for myself and all other landowners who signed with BP, but they are 2/3 of the way through their alloted time frame and it seems like very little is happening.  I only have 28 acres and am trying to remain confident but for the life of me can't understand why they would need to go back 200 years to clear a title.  As fly by night as most of these companies are, I can't imagine what it would be like to chase them down and get them to give up a title.  But...still keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for the FedEx!

Permalink Reply by KLB on July 26, 2012 at 9:45am

I am relatively new to this site and like everyone here am anxious to see this process move forward; having joined ALOV Trumbull at near its inception this has been a long ride to say the least.  That being said, BP and its title examiners have undertaken a monumental task in running ONG titles on this much acreage given that the bulk of the record is paper only and not yet fully digitized. 

 

If you have never been to the recorder's office in Warren it is not horribly spacious and there are not multiple sets of record books for these 100+ title searchers to use.  Further complicating matters is the fact that mineral severances could have occurred more than 100 years or more ago which means a present owner of real property may only own the surface and not the mineral rights beneath their property.  In addition, Trumbull County is like "Swiss Cheese" with regard to old ONG leases that were signed in the 1950's through 1980's that often were never released and/or were in some instances unitized and have Clinton Formation wells that are holding the leased lands by production (the "HBP" clauses in these old leases were very broad and most did not distinguish the various strata of mineral interests). 

 

I have been helping clients for the last 18 months to deal with these issues, but unfortunately only those landowners that knew or suspected they might have a title problem with a mineral severance or old ONG lease have taken steps to cure these in advance.  I suspect there are many who are blissfully ignorant of their title situation that will be devastatingly surprised upon receipt of a title defect letter instead of their highly anticipated bonus payment. 

 

I hope that this is not the case, but I have heard projections that 25 to 30% of landowners may fall into this category.  Given that we only have a 60 day curative window under the terms of the BP / ALOV Leases, correcting a title defect in that woefully insufficient time will be very difficult if not impossible and such news will likely come as a shock to the disabppointed landowner / lessor.

Permalink Reply by Debby Melvin on July 26, 2012 at 10:16am

So what you're saying is that BP pretty much lied to us and even with the 60 days to cure the defects, we will be screwed if we are one of the unfortunate ones who has problems.  Most of these companies are no longer in business and it seems that the only ones who will benefit will be the attorneys who one will be forced to hire to help wade through the legal mumbo jumbo.  I also have been involved with this ALOV group since it started here, and I remember very clearly Bob Rea standing in front of all of us in Champion high school telling us he wouldn't even listen to companies that didn't pay the bonus money when we signed on the dotted line.  I have made many phone calls to ALOV, BP, and the attorneys associated with them and no one can seem to answer the question about if a title is found defective, when will the owners be notified.  There are a lot of people, both here and in the real world, that would like that question answered. 

Permalink Reply by Paul Martinelli on July 26, 2012 at 10:21am

I was in a ALOV group, signed last April. I received my Title Defect letter vevy close to the end of the due diligence period....if that helps any.

Permalink Reply by Debby Melvin on July 26, 2012 at 10:24am

It just worries me that I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone about this.  Were you able to get your title cleared and get a bonus payment or how hard is it to get this done?  A lot of people are worried about the title work and no one will answer these questions.

Permalink Reply by Paul Martinelli on July 27, 2012 at 8:39am

My Acreage was partially HBP  with current Clinton Wells.

CHK didn't bother to dig any deeper once an existing lease was discovered.

 

It was to my advantage in the long run...I was less educated back then.

 

Permalink Reply by Paul Martinelli on July 27, 2012 at 10:14am

Yes.  I have leased it....to someone better :)

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