DISCLAIMER: The Tarrant Appraisal District's sole responsibility in the area of oil and gas appraisal is to determine the taxable value of mineral interests for property tax purposes.  TAD does not provide advise about leasing your mineral interests.  Information provided through this website is for informational purposes and is not intended to create and its receipt does not constitute a lawyer-client relationship.  Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional legal counsel.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I own my minerals under my real estate?
Mineral ownership is separate from the "surface" ownership.  Therefore, it is possible that someone else may own them.  A deed/title search may be necessary for one to determine who actually owns the minerals under a property.

How does the Tarrant Appraisal District know whether I own my minerals?
Once a well is drilled and is actually producing on a given January 1st, a report called a division order is received from the operator of each well.  The division order lists each person that owns an interest in the well and describes the percentage they own.  That is the information used to create a "mineral account" that will be appraised for property tax purposes.

If a company wants me to sign a gas or oil lease and I do not agree with the company's statement of my lot size or acreage, can TAD verify the size of my lot?
If you are negotiating a lease based upon the size of your property, you should refer to an existing property survey or the subdivision plat, or you may choose to pay for a new survey.  A survey is usually required when purchasing property in Texas.  You may find a copy of a survey in your purchase closing papers.  A subdivision plat may be available through the Tarrant County Plat Records department.

	Contact information:
	Tarrant County Plat Records
	100 W. Weatherford Room B30
	Fort Worth, TX 76196
	(817) 884-1069

You may pay for a new survey by contacting a survey company in your area.

Does signing a lease raise the value of my house?
Simply signing a lease does not affect the appraisal of your house.  Remember, the mineral value is separate from the value of the surface property. Also, it is important to remember that the well must be "in production" to be valued.  Future sale prices may answer the question of whether mineral ownership has an effect in the market.  The Texas Association of Realtors recently published some articles of interest on that topic that you can visit.  Click here to visit their website.

I thought minerals were real estate, why are my calls referred to the Business Personal Property Department?
Minerals are real property.  Responsibility for valuation of minerals at TAD falls to the BPP / Minerals Department.

I have an exemption on my home; can I get one on my mineral account also?
In most cases, no.  Minerals are only exempt when owned by governments (city, county, schools, federal, etc.). Churches and other entities that typically receive exemptions on their surface real estate are not exempt on their minerals either. One exception is a person with a "disabled veteran exemption".  They could choose to apply it to a mineral account.

Who is Pritchard & Abbott?
Pritchard & Abbott, Inc. is the appraisal company contracted to value the mineral properties for TAD and a number of surrounding counties.  P&A is an appraisal firm that specializes in the valuation of minerals and industrial property.  There are a handful of companies like them that have the expertise to value these unique properties, and do so for many counties in Texas and other states.  P&A is headquartered here in Fort Worth and was a pioneer in this industry when founded in 1926.

Why is the phone number on my mineral value notice not for the Tarrant Appraisal District's main office?
The contract TAD has with the Pritchard & Abbott appraisal firm includes their full service in taking questions and talking about the appraisals with the taxpayer.  They can be viewed as an extension of the appraisal district when the question relates to the valuation of minerals.  Gordon Peppard is the appraiser that is responsible for the Tarrant accounts and his phone number is (817) 926-7861.  Most times, all questions can be handled by phone.  Please remember that certain times of the year will mean the phone lines will be very busy.

Can I come to the Tarrant Appraisal District to discuss my mineral valuation?
While you are always welcome to visit our office, unfortunately there will not be an appraiser here that can discuss your specific valuation.  Please contact Pritchard and Abbott at the number listed above.  They will work hard to accommodate you as quickly as possible.