For information that is updated nightly for your convenience, log onto the official web page of the Douglas County Douglas County Assessor. Assessor’s Office

Search By • Parcel Number • State Parcel Number • Owner Name • Street Name • MapIT! Mapping Tool MINERAL

Get Property Information • Owner Name and Mailing Address INTERESTS • Estimated Taxes Additional Resources • Comparable Sales • Property Address Douglas County Clerk & Recorder’s Office • Legal Description Recording Division • Actual and Assessed Values www.douglas.co.us/clerk/recording • 2011 Notice of Valuation Douglas County Planning Division • Tax Rates and Authorities www.douglas.co.us/planning/Oil_and_Gas.html • Online Protest

Colorado Oil and Gas • QuickClips Conservation Commission www.cogcc.state.co.us Download Forms, Maps and Data • QuickReports Colorado Oil & Gas Association • Address Change Form www.coga.org Lisa Frizell, Assessor • Business Personal Property Declaration 301 Wilcox Street National Association of Royalty Owners • Abatement Petition www.naro-us.org • Sales Data Castle Rock, CO 80104

• Parcel Data United States Geological Society (USGS) Phone: 303.660.7450 Assessment of Denver Basin Province • Tax District Map http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-002-03.pdf • Section Maps www.douglas.co.us/assessor

And much, much more! D OING YOUR RESEARCH W HAT IS A MINERAL? M INERAL LEASES Colorado law recognizes that access to the mineral The word “mineral” is used in a variety of contexts. Mineral interests can be leased or acquired for the estate from the surface estate is necessary to Generally, ores of metals, coal, oil, natural gas, purpose of future production. Mineral leases are develop the mineral interest. The law provides for gemstones, dimension stone, construction aggregate, typically recorded in the county where the interest access to the mineral estate by allowing “reasonable use” of the surface estate. We salt and other materials extracted from the ground exists; however, specific addendums to the lease suggest the following steps to determine if you own are considered to be minerals. may be excluded from recorded documents. your minerals: • The deed or title policy issued at the time a M INERAL OWNERSHIP V ALUING property is purchased can sometimes describe any interests that have been The most complete ownership interest one can have M INERAL INTERESTS excluded from the ownership. in real property is known as Fee Simple ownership. Severed mineral interests are considered real • If the deed or title policy is unclear, or you This means that the title to property in Colorado law, and as such are subject to wish to research the property ownership the property is free of any taxation. In the Assessor’s Office, once a mineral further, first determine the legal description of conditions, limitations, interest is severed from the surface property it is the property. This information can be found restrictions or other claims assigned a unique account number, and the interest on the Assessor’s Website, or visit the Public Assistance Area of the Assessor’s Office. against the title. The is valued and taxed each year. The Tax District and ownership of any minerals tax rate assigned to the surface property applies to • Once the legal description is obtained, visit the on a property can be the mineral interests as well. Mineral interests exist Clerk and Recorder’s Office —the Recording separated from the surface rights in two ways: The in units called “mineral acres”, and the account Division is located on the first floor of the Wilcox Building in downtown Castle Rock. Fee Simple owner can sell the mineral rights outright value is calculated on a per acre basis. If the to another party, or the Fee Simple owner can sell the Assessor does not have a mineral interest on the tax • Search for documents in the recording office surface property and reserve the minerals for rolls, the owner can request by the property legal description. All documents associated with ownership for themselves. They can be sold separately or re-joined that the account be added, both surface and mineral ownership are with the surface property owner at a later date. providing that they can recorded through the Clerk’s Office and can appropriately document their be researched to obtain copies. Severed mineral interests can be severed in portions ownership of the property. or interests. They can also be severed for specific • If mineral interests have been severed you will types of minerals, hydrocarbons or precious metals. When production on a severed be able to find out when and who they were conveyed to. The search will also allow you to Future sales of the surface property will typically mineral interest occurs, the determine the chain of title of the mineral include language excepting or excluding the mineral account is deactivated and an account for interests if they were subsequently conveyed previously severed mineral interest. the producing well or mine is created. to another party.

www.douglas.co.us/assessor www.douglas.co.us/assessor www.douglas.co.us/assessor