Signatures and acknowledgment: the last page first
The signature page is where the lease becomes binding. The acknowledgment under it is the notary block that lets the county clerk record the lease. Read it before the rest, because it tells you who else must sign.
What it does
Every owner of the minerals being leased usually signs for their own share. In some places a spouse may need to sign even when only one name is on the deed, for example where homestead or marital property rules apply. The company should tell you whose signatures it needs.
The acknowledgment is filled in by a notary when you sign. Do not sign a page with blanks, and do not sign a signature page sent apart from the lease and exhibits it belongs to.
If you and the company agree to changes, they usually go in an addendum or exhibit. Look for a sentence saying the addendum controls if it conflicts with the printed form.
What we mark on a review sheet
Normal
- A signature line for each owner, with a notary acknowledgment.
- Exhibits and any addendum attached and listed.
Missing
- A sentence saying your addendum controls over the printed form.
- A complete copy for you of what you signed.
Ask about
- Blank spaces on any page.
- A signature page sent by itself.
Questions to ask the company
- Whose signatures do you need on this lease, and why?
- Will you send the full lease with every exhibit and addendum attached before I sign?
- Will you add a sentence that the addendum controls over the printed form?
Common questions
Does an oil and gas lease need to be notarized?
To be recorded in the county, it usually needs an acknowledgment, which a notary completes when you sign.
Does my spouse need to sign the lease?
Sometimes, depending on where the land is and how it is held. Ask the company whose signatures it needs and why.
Send it before you sign
Tell us what you got and what you want to know. We reply by email and tell you how to send the pages. A landman reads them and sends back a one-page review sheet.
Email hello@landman.review with what you got and your question, or call (307) 263-8515.