Landowners

Frequently Asked Questions

Laurel Mountain Energy, LLC ( “LME”) is available to help serve our landowner needs Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Once you have completed reading this document and still have other questions, please contact our Good Neighbor Call Center by phone at 412-595-8700, toll free at 866-833-8884, via email at info@laurelmountainenergy.com, and we will be happy to assist you. After normal business hours or on major holidays, voicemail and email are always available to receive communications as well as our web site at www.laurelmountainenergy.com. You can also write to us at:

Laurel Mountain Energy, LLC
61 McMurray Road, Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA 15241

ATTN: Land Department or Accounting Department (See the questions below).

When you call or write, please provide your owner number, telephone number, Tax Parcel Number(s) and the nature of your question.

 

Account Change Questions

Please provide a copy of the Certificate of Name Change. If the name change is the result of a merger, please provide a copy of the Certificate of Merger and the tax identification number of the surviving entity. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339. You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide copies of the trust agreement, Instrument of Dissolution, and the appropriate recorded conveyances. Please also include the mailing addresses and tax identification numbers for each beneficiary. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide a copy of the instrument appointing the successor trustee. Please also include the mailing address of the successor trustee. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide copies of the Trust Agreement and recorded conveyance to the trust in addition to the trust’s mailing address and tax identification number. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide a copy of the recorded document creating the Power of Attorney/Attorney-in-Fact. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

It is recommended you contact an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania to determine what is all required. In addition, please provide the following estate documents:
• Copy of the Death Certificate
• Copy of the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
• Contact information for an estate representative

Based upon the letters testamentary or administration, LME may pay the proceeds, if any, attributable to this interest directly to the estate upon receipt of a W9 Tax Form with an appropriate federal tax identification number. Once the estate has been finalized, the real property will need to be conveyed from the estate to the beneficiaries and/or new owners through a recorded conveyance document. LME will require a copy of the recorded conveyance document and W9 Tax Form from the beneficiaries of the estate and/or new owners

Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Ancillary probate proceedings may be required. It is recommended you contact an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania to determine what is all required. In addition, please provide the following estate documents:
• Copy of the Death Certificate
• Copy of the Order Admitting Will to Probate
• Copy of the Letters Testamentary
• Copy of the Last Will and Testament (probated and recorded in the county where the property is located)
• Contact information for an estate representative

Based upon the letters testamentary, LME may pay the proceeds, if any, attributable to this interest directly to the estate upon receipt of a W9 Tax Form with an appropriate federal tax identification number. Once the estate has been finalized, the real property will need to be conveyed from the estate to the beneficiaries and/or new owners through a recorded conveyance document. LME will require a copy of the recorded conveyance document and W9 Tax Form from the beneficiaries of the estate and/or new owners

Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339. You can also mail your documents to
LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.
ATTN: Land Department

Ancillary probate proceedings may be required. It is recommended you contact an attorney licensed in Pennsylvania to determine what is all required. In addition, please provide the following estate documents:
• Copy of the Death Certificate
• Copy of the Order Admitting Will to Probate
• Copy of the Letters Testamentary
• Copy of the Last Will and Testament (probated and recorded in the county where the property is located)
• Contact information for an estate representative

Based upon the letters testamentary, LME may pay the proceeds, if any, attributable to this interest directly to the estate upon receipt of a W9 Tax Form with an appropriate federal tax identification number. Once the estate has been finalized, the real property will need to be conveyed from the estate to the beneficiaries and/or new owners through a recorded conveyance document. LME will require a copy of the recorded conveyance document and W9 Tax Form from the beneficiaries of the estate and/or new owners

Please contact the county’s clerk of courts for additional information on having the will recorded in the county where the property is located
Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339. You can also mail your documents to
LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.
ATTN: Land Department

Please provide a copy of the death certificate of the life tenant along with names, addresses, and SSN’s of the remaindermen. Also, provide a copy of the document that created the life tenancy and named remaindermen. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide the following estate documents:

  • Copy of the Death Certificate
  • Copy of the Order Admitting Will to Probate
  • Copy of the Letters Testamentary
  • Copy of the Last Will and Testament (probated and recorded in the county where the property is located)
  • Contact information for an estate representative

 

Based upon the letters testamentary, LME may pay the proceeds, if any, attributable to this interest directly to the estate upon receipt of a W9 Tax Form with an appropriate federal tax identification number. Once the estate has been finalized, the real property will need to be conveyed from the estate to the beneficiaries and/or new owners through a recorded conveyance document. LME will require a copy of the recorded conveyance document and W9 Tax Form from the beneficiaries of the estate and/or new owners

 

Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide a copy of the death certificate of the joint tenant. We also need a copy of the deed/conveyance that created the joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, and a W-9 form for the surviving joint tenant(s) if the Social Security number is not currently on file.   Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

If the interest type is a royalty or a mineral interest, you must file a recorded conveyance document that conveys the interest to the new owner(s). If the interest type is a working interest or overriding royalty, you will need to file an assignment. You must record the conveyance document or assignment in the county and state where the property is located.  For additional information, please contact that county’s clerk of courts.

LME cannot furnish deed forms or assist in the drafting of such conveyances or assignments. If you need assistance, please contact an attorney familiar with oil and gas law in the state where the property is located.

We need a copy of the conveyance document recorded in the county and state where the property is located along with the name, address and Social Security or Tax Identification numbers (SSN/TIN) of the new owner(s).  For your protection, we only issue payment by Record Title Ownership; therefore, we are unable to transfer ownership without a recorded document.  For additional information on having the documentation recorded in the county where the property is located, please contact that county’s clerk of courts.

Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Until you notify LME, we will continue to issue the royalty payments to the previous (or deceased) owner account. Additionally, LME may place this interest in suspense. The owner (or the executor of the estate) is responsible for notifying us in writing of any transfers of interest, and for providing the recorded instrument that documents the transfer. We are unable to monitor county or public records for changes and cannot retrieve documentation on an owner’s behalf.  For additional information on having the documentation recorded in the county where the property is located, please contact that county’s clerk of courts.

Please contact us so that we may place the affected interests in suspense and advise you of the required documentation to transfer the interests. Placing the interest in suspense means that there is a hold on further revenue disbursements until we receive the proper documentation.  Once LME verifies the transfer, we will release all held or “suspended” revenue.  Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to:

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

Please provide a written request and a copy of the document supporting the name change (marriage certificate, divorce decree reinstating maiden name, etc.).  A copy of the Social Security card showing the name as changed with the Federal Government/Internal Revenue Service may also be required.  Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

LME may place the proceeds attributable to this interest until a divorce is finalized. Once finalized, please provide a copy of the final divorce decree, including property settlement documents and copies of recorded conveyances. If you do not have a current LME owner account, please provide your address and a completed W-9 form. Scan the necessary documents and send via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339.  You can also mail your documents to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Land Department

For your protection, LME does not accept address changes via telephone – this notice must be in writing. Please include your name, owner number, last 4 digits of your social security number or tax identification number for verification, the new address, daytime phone number with area code, and email address (if available) with a signature. You may download a copy of the Change/Confirmation of Address form by clicking here. Please scan the completed form and send via email to info@laurelmountainenergy.com or fax to 412-833-4339. You can also mail your change of address to:

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.
ATTN: Land Department

General Questions

Yes. Due to the proprietary nature of the information, LME may not always be able to respond to certain questions you may have regarding properties. Information not for general release includes:

  • Forecasts of production
  • Future development plans
  • Reserve estimates

There may be a clause in your lease that gives LME the right to extend the primary term of your lease by making a specified payment. Extensions are at LME’s discretion, and if exercised, occur at the time your lease is scheduled to expire. They are non-negotiable.

LME issues obligation payments in accordance with the terms of your lease agreement. Please refer to that document to determine when you should expect your payment.

LME may suspend payments due to a notice of death, transfer of ownership, unknown or incorrect address, or a title dispute. We do this to protect owner interests. Promptly notifying us of any changes related to your interest (and providing LME with any required documentation) will limit the duration of this inconvenience.

Yes.  If it is past the deadline or damaged, please call the LME number and arrange to return the check so that we can reissue the payment in the next check run. If it is lost or stolen, please report this to LME as soon as possible so we may put a stop payment on it.

Please return stale or damaged checks to:

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Accounting Department

The most common reason is that your account revenues fall below the minimum suspense level. This amount can vary from landowner to landowner and may be determined by the terms of your lease or by LME accounting policies. From January through November, the minimum check amount is fifty dollars ($50.00), unless your lease terms state otherwise. Once accumulated proceeds exceed the minimum suspense level, you will receive a check for the accumulated funds. In December, we will issue a minimum release check to clear out accumulated proceeds that are still below the owner minimum threshold.

Another common reason for not receiving a check is that you moved and did not update your address with us. The post office may not forward these checks, so it may be returned to us as undeliverable. When this happens, we will send you a change of address form if the forwarding order provides your new address. If it does not, LME will put the account into suspense until you notify us in writing of your new address.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires LME to acquire a social security number or tax identification number from all Payees. Failure to supply your social security or tax identification number will result in LME withholding a 24% non-refundable tax on all payments.

The Owner ID, or AB Number, is a unique account number that allows LME to know specifically which landowner we are working with. You can find this number on most LME correspondence, including your check stubs.

Selling Mineral Rights

Contact the Land Department at LME at 412-595-8700. Your request and information will be evaluated.

Tax Questions

LME cannot furnish tax advice and recommend that you consult with a tax professional versed in oil and gas accounting regarding your ability to deduct these costs for income tax purposes.

If you have questions regarding the contents of your 1099 form, please call Accounting Department at 412-595-8700 or 866-833-8884 to speak with a representative. Remember, LME is unable to furnish tax advice and recommends that you consult with a tax professional about how to report this income.

As required by the IRS, the amount reported on the 1099 form is the gross income before taxes and other deductions allowed under your lease. This will match the total gross amounts shown on your check stubs throughout the year.

Per IRS regulations, LME issues 1099 forms annually to report royalty, production, and rental payments. We are required to mail these forms by January 31 to all payees who meet the reporting requirements established by the IRS. As of 2014, the minimum amount reportable to the IRS for royalties is ten dollars ($10.00), and for other types of income, the minimum reportable amount is six hundred dollars ($600.00).

The W-9 form is available on the IRS website or via the ‘Forms’ section of the Owners Portal. If you would like a copy of the W-9 form mailed to you, please call 412-595-8700 or 866-833-8884 to speak with one of our customer service representatives.

The IRS requires that LME obtain the Social Security number or tax identification number of all payees. Without a Social Security or tax identification number, your payments will be subject to a non-refundable, 24% withholding under IRS regulations. In addition, if the IRS name and tax identification number does not match the Social Security Administration name and tax identification number, IRS regulations may require withholding.

 To avoid backup withholding, please scan the completed W-9 form, and send it via email to Info@laurelmountainenergy.com, fax to 412-833-4339, or mail to

LME address at the top of this FAQ’s sheet.

ATTN: Accounting Department

 

Leasing