Anatomy of a mineral deed, part 1 of 11
The grantor on a mineral deed
The person or company conveying the interest. On an old family deed it is often a grandparent, an estate or a group of heirs signing together.
That [grantor's name], a widow, of Sample County, Texas, hereinafter called Grantor,
What it is
The grantor is whoever gives up the interest. A grantor can convey only what they own, so the deed that made the grantor an owner (where the same name appears as grantee) tells you what this deed could pass.
When several people owned the minerals together, each one's share passes only if that person signs, or someone with authority signs for them.
What to check
Is the grantor the person who owned the minerals, named the way they took title?
- The name is spelled the way it appears in the deed that gave the grantor the land, including initials and maiden or married names.
- Every owner signed. Look for "et ux" (and wife), "et vir" (and husband) and "et al" (and others) in the index.
- Anyone signing for someone else says so: executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, attorney in fact, or an officer of a company.
- The authority for that signature is on record too: the probate, the trust, the power of attorney.
Where it goes wrong
A spouse or one heir who never signed, or a name spelled differently from the deed before, which hides the deed from a name search in the index.
See the grantor on the sample deed
Related
We are landmen, not attorneys. This page explains how mineral deeds are usually read. What your deed means can turn on its exact words and on Texas law, and a title opinion comes from an attorney.
Want us to read yours?
Tell us what your deed says and what you want to know. We can read the deed and explain what it conveys, or pull the chain of title in the county records and show how the interest reached you. We read every request and can reply by email.
For a lease, a division order or a check you cannot read, Landman Help works for owners. For a full runsheet or title packet, Landman Services runs the county records.