What the record can show
- The last owner of record, and the instrument that vested the interest in them.
- Wills, probate orders, inventories, letters and judgments, in the county where the land lies and in other counties.
- Affidavits of heirship, and the family facts they state.
- Later deeds out of heirs, and whether the fractions add up.
- In Louisiana, judgments of possession in the parish conveyance records.
Documents that matter
- The deed or other instrument into the person who died.
- Probate files from every county the family lived in.
- Affidavits of heirship and small estate filings.
- Obituaries and family records, as leads for the search rather than as title.
- Division orders, suspense notices and earlier title opinion requirements.
How a landman's work helps
- A descent chart that marks each fact as of record or not of record.
- Probate searches in each county where the family lived or owned land.
- A list of the curative the record calls for.
- A report on what the county records show about successors, without deciding who the heirs are as a matter of law.
What to send
- The name of the person who died, and roughly when.
- The county and state where the minerals are.
- Any deed, will, probate or division order you have.
- The family members and companies involved, for a conflicts check.
We are landmen, not attorneys. This page describes the land record in general terms. It is not legal advice, and every matter turns on its own instruments.