Anatomy of a mineral deed, part 6 of 11
The legal description on a mineral deed
Where the land is: county, survey and abstract, acres, and the calls or a reference to an earlier deed. Every other part of the deed applies only to this land.
All that certain tract of land, being 80 acres, more or less, out of the Sample Survey, Abstract No. 000, Sample County, Texas, being the same land described in a deed recorded in Volume 000, Page 000, Deed Records of Sample County, Texas.
What it is
The legal description says which land the deed covers. In Texas it usually names the county, the original survey and its abstract number, and the acres, then either walks the boundary (metes and bounds) or refers to an earlier recorded deed that does.
Whatever the rest of the deed conveys, it conveys only in this land.
What to check
Does the legal description match the tract you think the family owns?
- The county and state.
- The survey name and abstract number, against the deed before this one and the county appraisal district map.
- The acres, and whether the deed covers the whole tract or a part of it ("the north 40 acres of").
- Any "save and except" tracts carved out of the description.
- The reference to an earlier deed, by volume and page or instrument number, which you can pull and compare.
Where it goes wrong
An abstract number copied wrong, a tract that was split before this deed, or acres that do not add up across the family's deeds.
See the legal description 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.