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Helping Freeholders

FHOA is about providing education and information to freeholders and seeking fundamental fairness for the freehold mineral owner community!  

Is it fair that there are no regulations governing the actions of land agents retained by energy companies to acquire agreements from freeholders?  Is it fair that the lease agreements offered to freeholders allow the energy company-lessee to earn all the freeholder’s mineral rights to the center of the earth with production from a shallow well when the Crown and major corporate owners of freehold mineral rights have had deep rights reversion in their leases for more than three decades?  And is it fair that in situations where a freehold mineral owner succeeds in negotiating a deep rights reversion clause in his lease, Alberta Land Titles refuses to allow the caveat description to reflect this?

What about oil and gas regulatory authorities?  The Alberta Energy Regulator (the “AER”) is charged with the power to make any just and reasonable order to effect the purpose of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act (Part 3, s. 7) one of the purposes of which is to “afford each owner the opportunity of obtaining the owner’s share of the production of oil or gas from any pool” (Part1, s. 4(d)).  Is it fair that when a  freeholder has been deprived of his share of production by the actions of the freeholder’s energy company-lessee, the AER takes the position that it has no jurisdiction and the matter belongs in the courts?

What about the courts?  Oil and gas litigation is exceedingly expensive.  No matter how valid the claim, individual freeholders seldom have the financial resources or intestinal fortitude to engage in litigation against powerful oil and gas companies.  Provincial governments have historically collected billions of dollars in mineral tax from freeholders’ property.  Is it fair that these governments refuse to provide any services whatsoever to freeholders in return?  And the list goes on and on and on!

The Freehold Owners Association stands up for freeholders.  FHOA provides members with access to information, resources and services to help with them deal with the above issues and more.  Based on modest contributions from many members, FHOA has been able to successfully intervene in both regulatory and judicial hearings dealing with issues impacting the freehold owner community such as ownership of coal bed methane and lease continuation with suspended wells .There is strength in numbers; join FHOA and help us seek greater fairness.

 

 

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  • We wish to thank FHOA, with special recognition to David Speirs, for the information /assistance he gave to us regarding the energy sector. His knowledge of Freehold Owner leases was particularly helpful to us as novices when we became Freehold owners over a decade ago.

    Garold and Yvonne Miller

  • I am eternally grateful for what I have learned through FHOA and their Board of Directors. Because of FHOA, our family can safeguard our mineral rights for future generations, and we have enhanced our lease negotiation skills as a collaborative family unit. The expertise and dedication of FHOA directors has supported our efforts in every aspect of mineral ownership.

    Joan Olafson

  • Our mineral rights have been passed down for generations. We joined FHOA in 2007 to help us understand an agreement with an oil company. FHOA was so helpful, providing suggestions were able to take the company and have adjustments made to our lease agreement. The information provided on the website, by FHOA representatives and at FHOA meetings helped us better understand lease provisions. If we had to sign another lease, I would have FHOA help again. Because of this value, we continue to be a member year after year.

    Jackie Anderson

  • Freehold Owner’s Association (“FHOA”) has a wide variety of information with access to various expertise for freehold mineral owners like me, who do not have the technical and legal expertise, nor the financial capability to do it on their own.

    Bill Schmidt

  • Our family is very thankful for FHOA. They made it possible to force a major oil producer to pay legitimate royalties owed to all five family members for off-set drilling beside our mineral rights.

    Betty Frey

Membership Benefits

Becoming a FHOA member opens access to a wide range of services, information and benefits:

  • learn what's the going rate in your area

  • post your mineral rights

  • help the industry find you

  • purchase technical service reports*

  • recovery and evaluation services*

  • obtain a copy of the Freehold Friendly Lease

  • important resources & articles

  • and much more...

*Additional fees may apply

Annual Membership
only $75!

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Events

FHOA AGM

Location: Virtual Only

Date: TBD

Time: TBD

Sign Up to Attend FHOA  Annual General Meeting planned for Fall 2023.

MORE INFO