Do You Really Own What's Underground? Unpacking Mineral Rights and Property Deeds
Download MP3Episode Description:
In this episode, we explore the surprising truth about mineral rights and how they can impact property ownership. Just because you own the land doesn't always mean you own what's beneath it. Learn how to uncover the real story behind your property's rights.
In this episode, we explore the surprising truth about mineral rights and how they can impact property ownership. Just because you own the land doesn't always mean you own what's beneath it. Learn how to uncover the real story behind your property's rights.
What You'll Learn:
- Whether mineral rights are automatically included with a property deed
- Why some properties have mineral rights separated or sold off
- How previous owners may have sold underground rights (oil, gas, minerals)
- The legal possibility of outside companies accessing your land to extract resources
- Different types of title searches and their limitations:
- Current Owner Search – fast and affordable, but may miss historical transfers
- Chain of Title Search – more comprehensive, goes back decades to reveal split rights
- Real-life example: How a farmer could sell mineral rights and later subdivide land
- Why some property deeds don’t reflect older rights transfers
- Other rights to be aware of:
- Timber rights
- Water rights (riparian rights)
- Air rights (e.g., for cell towers)
- Importance of doing a proper title search before purchasing land
- How to protect yourself from hidden claims on your property
Takeaway:
A property deed only shows what’s being transferred—but not always the full picture. Make sure to ask the right questions and run the right kind of title search to truly understand what you’re buying.
A property deed only shows what’s being transferred—but not always the full picture. Make sure to ask the right questions and run the right kind of title search to truly understand what you’re buying.
