The Ohio shale boom started slowly when a few small companies quietly began acquiring mineral leases for as little as $25 per acre. This soon gave way to a full blown land rush in the fall of 2010. But as lease prices skyrocketed through the Fall of 2011, disillusioned lessors who signed before the peak of the market were the ones rushing – to the courthouse to file lawsuits to cancel their leases.
In order to gain leverage and legitimize their lawsuit, lessors frequently allege that their lease is “unconscionable” or they were fraudulently induced to sign it. “Exhibit A” to these lawsuits is often a technical error in the lease signing or a “fraudulent” statement made by a landman. There are exceptions, but many of these kinds of lawsuits have no legal basis.Continue Reading Lawsuits Over “Fraudulent” Oil & Gas Leases Often Lack Merit