Flaherty Defends Generational Ownership of Mineral Rights

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals recently upheld a decision protecting our clients’ oil and gas rights in Tyler County. The case involved claims that mineral interests, long held by our client’s family, had been purchased nearly 75 years ago at a tax sale.

The opposing parties argued that their ancestor’s tax sale purchase included not only the mineral interests that they currently owned, but also mineral interests belonging to our client’s family. After reviewing separate tax assessments and records, the court disagreed, confirming that the tax sale did not extend to our client’s property. This decision safeguards mineral rights that have been in our client’s family for more than a century.

Flaherty attorneys Christopher A. Brumley and Richard R. Marsh represented one of the mineral owners in this case, combining legal skill with a deep understanding of West Virginia’s energy and property landscape.

Disclaimer: Case summaries, reports of past results and individual lawyer biographies on this website describe past matters handled for clients of the firm. These descriptions are meant only to provide information to the public about the activities and experience of our lawyers. They are not intended as a guarantee that the same or similar results can be obtained in every matter undertaken by our lawyers. You must not assume that a similar result can be obtained in a legal matter of interest to you. The outcome of a particular matter can depend on a variety of factors—including the specific factual and legal circumstances, the ability of opposing counsel, and, often, unexpected developments beyond the control of any client or lawyer.