Opinion ID: 1849825
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Could Connerly Have Adversely Possessed the Minerals Without Exercising Control Over Them?

Text: At the time when Connerly began to adversely possess the land, the mineral rights had not been severed. The law is clear that where one adversely possesses surface rights, unsevered mineral rights are also possessed by implication. Unless a severance has occurred, the party in adverse possession of the surface need not exercise active dominion over the minerals in order to perfect a valid title to both surface and minerals. See Turner Lumber Co. v. Beckham, 277 So.2d 110, 112 (Miss. 1972) (mere adverse possession of surface implies adverse possession of minerals where adverse possession of surface pre-dates recorded severance); accord Huddleston v. Peel, 238 Miss. 798, 119 So.2d 921 (1960). Other jurisdictions agree with virtual unanimity. See, e.g., Sachs v. Board of Trustees, 89 N.M. 712, 557 P.2d 209 (1976) (before severance of subsurface minerals, possession of surface implies possession of minerals below); Broadhurst v. American Colloid Co., 85 S.D. 65, 177 N.W.2d 261 (1970) (if title to minerals has not been severed from title to surface, adverse possession of surface for prescribed period will give title to both surface and minerals); Henley v. United States, 396 F.2d 956, 184 Ct.Cl. 315 (1968) (adverse possession that begins before severance is adverse possession of minerals as well as of surface); see also Peterson v. Simpson, 286 Ark. 177, 690 S.W.2d 720 (1985); General Refractories Co. v. Raack, 674 S.W.2d 97 (Mo. Ct. App. 1984); Jackson v. Reed, 114 Ill. App.3d 36, 69 Ill.Dec. 766, 448 N.E.2d 226 (1983); Fadem v. Kimball, 612 P.2d 287 (Okl.Ct.App. 1979); Thornock v. Cook, 604 P.2d 934 (Utah 1979); Van Slooten v. Larsen, 86 Mich. App. 437, 272 N.W.2d 675 (1978); McDaniel v. Williams, 429 S.W.2d 640 (Tex.Civ.Ct.App. 1968); Knott Coal Corp. v. Kelly, 417 S.W.2d 253 (Ky. 1967); Mountain Mission School, Inc. v. Buchanan Realty Corp., 207 Va. 518, 151 S.E.2d 403 (1966). An attempted severance of mineral rights by the record title holder at any time after the adverse claimant enters possession is invalid. Huddleston, 119 So.2d at 923 (where record title holder attempts to sever mineral interests after adverse claimant enters possession, the adverse possession will continue as if there had been no conveyance of the mineral estate); accord Ates v. Yellow Pine Land Co., 310 So.2d 772 (Fla.Ct.App. 1975) (conveyance of subsurface interests by one not in possession while another is in adverse possession will not toll or affect running of adverse possession as to subsurface interests). In the instant case, Pritchard, the record title holder, attempted to sever the mineral rights and convey them to Ellzey after Connerly began to adversely possess the property. Assuming arguendo that Connerly did not otherwise relinquish her claim to the mineral rights, Ellzey's attempted severance was ineffective and Connerly's adverse possession continued to run to both surface and minerals. We will now turn our attention to the question of whether Connerly relinquished her claim to the minerals prior to Pritchard's conveyance to Ellzey. 2.