LEASE RAN OUT MARCH 23 2011

MY NAME IS CHRIS LENT I WAS ON A LEASE FOR OUR FARM IN HERRICKVILLE PA OUR LEASE WAS WITH ANADARKO WE ENTERED THIS LEASE ON MARCH 23 2006 FOR $40.00 A ACRE THEN 2 YEARS LATTER ALL HELL BROKE OUT AND LEASES WERE GOING FOR OVER 5000 A ACRE MADE US FEEL ALL LIKE FOOLS. THE GAS CO. KEPT SAYING YOU WOULD BE THE FIRST THEY WOUD DRILL ON AND ROYALITYS IS WERE THE REAL MONEY IS. WELL THEY LIED THEY DRILL WERE THE WANT AND  FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS WE WATCHED THE PEOPLE THAT GOT LEASES FOR OVER 2500 DOLLARS GET WELLS VERY FEW OF THESE WELLS FELL ON POOR PEOPLE.WELL NOW OUR LEASE HAS COME DO THEY HAVENT PAYED FOR THE 5 YEAR EXSTENTION THEY HAD IN THE CONTRACT LIKE THEY PAYED THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT I KNOW TO HOLD THEM FOR THE SAME $40 DOLLARS A ACRE SOME HOW THEY MISSED OURS. WITH SOME CHECKING WITH THE COURT HOUSE AND CHESAPEAK COURT HOUSE SAYS WE NEED TO SEND LETTER TO ANADARKO FOR THE RELEASE OF THE LEASE ON THE DEED SO WE HAVE. DOING MORE CHECKING AT THE COURT HOUSE WE FOUND OUT THAT CHESAPEAK OWEND 50% OF THE LEASE . WE WENT TO CHESAPEAK TOLD THEM WHAT HAS HAPPEND THEY WANTED TO HELP US BY SENDING A LETTER TO ANADARKO TO GET THEM TO SEND US A CHECK WE TOLD THEM WE WERE WAY BEYOND THAT AND WE WANT ARE OLD LEASE TORE UP. THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD CONTACT US IN A WEEK. CHESAPEAK TOLD US THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY IN OUR AREA AND IT WOULD BE A WILE BEFORE ANY DRILLING WOULD BE ON OR NEAR US TO GET US IN A POOL OR UNIT SO THIS MENT THERE HAS BEEN NO ENTINTION FOR OUR AREA YET AND THERE ARE NO WELLS TO LOCK US IN. NOW HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS 1.DO WE HAVE A CASE?  2.WHAT ARE THE GOING RATES FOR LEASES?  3. DOSE ANY ONE HAVE A GOOD LAWYER TO HANDEL GAS LEASES? 4.HAS ANY ONE ELS HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM OR SOMEONE THEY KNOW?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Frank Walker on April 2, 2011 at 7:33am

I saw your post headline and I was going to chime in with a hearty "congratulations, you are a winner in life's lottery!".  Then I read your post and saw you actually went and told Chesapeake what happened!!  Amazing you would have done that.  If you have a gun, why not just shoot yourself in the head?  It would have been easier.

 

But I'll try to stay positive:

 

You might still be OK, but I can't congratulate you just yet.  If ever a landowner needed a good O&G lawyer, it is you.  I'm not a lawyer and I don't shill for lawyers.  He might not be the absolute best choice.  But you need a lawyer so desperately I'll make the first lawyer suggestion I've ever made on this forum:  talk to Jim Pruyne in Towanda.  Pruyne is old and smart.  He's been practicing law in Towanda for YEARS!!

 

If you don't like that suggestion, and given your desperate situation, ANY lawyer is going to leave you better off than you are now (probably . . any honest lawyer, anyway).

 

Finally let me say

 

What you did early in 2006 was not foolish at the time.  No reasonable person would fault you for what you did back then.  What you have been doing since March 23, though, has been idiotic, er, I mean unwise.  It has not been in your best interest, let's put it that way.  Depending on how many acres you own, there could be millions of dollars on the line.

 

Can you afford to screw around with money like that hanging in the balance?  For God's sake talk to a lawyer Monday.  And I hope you get your land back!

Permalink Reply by Greg Ricks on April 7, 2011 at 4:48pm
Well put Frank. I couldn't agree with you more. Christopher is acting as his own worst enemy right now and should seek professional help. And I believe Deci is right as well. Once the lease expires, it expires. No further release should be needed. Christopher is a free agent.
Permalink Reply by Deci Ruiz on April 2, 2011 at 7:43am
Hi Chris,
You may be able to get some info on the website ..landex. If your lease is up I don't understand why you can't sign with another company or why you would need a release. If it is up and you didn't get paid again (and if I read my lease right it is for the same amount as before) then you should not ask for a check and you should WITH a LAWYER ask for a new lease. Good luck
Permalink Reply by Stephen Fox on April 8, 2011 at 2:20am

I have said in the past on this web site....I live in Northern Virginia and had Melissa Robb attoney at Law with the Smith Butz law firm  in Canonsburg PA represent us with Atlas/Chevron negotiating my lease. She and the firm specialize in oil and gas.  She did an excellent job, reasonable, and efficient.  Her phone number is 724-745-5121.  I hope this helps.

Good Luck

Stephen Fox

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