Sec. 1.

(1) Any interest in oil or gas in any land owned by any person other than the owner of the surface, which has not been sold, leased, mortgaged, or transferred by instrument recorded in the register of deeds office for the county where that interest in oil or gas is located for a period of 20 years shall, in the absence of the issuance of a permit to drill an oil or gas well issued by the department of environmental quality, or its predecessor or successor, as to that interest in oil or gas or the actual production or withdrawal of oil or gas from said lands, or from lands covered by a lease to which that interest in oil or gas is subject, or from lands pooled, unitized, or included in unit operations therewith, or the use of that interest in underground gas storage operations, during such period of 20 years, be deemed abandoned, unless the owner thereof shall, within 3 years after September 6, 1963 or within 20 years after the last sale, lease, mortgage, or transfer of record of that interest in oil or gas or within 20 years after the last issuance of a drilling permit as to that interest in oil or gas or actual production or withdrawal of oil or gas, from said lands, or from lands covered by a lease to which that interest in oil or gas is subject, or from lands pooled, unitized, or included in unit operations therewith, or the use of that interest in oil or gas in underground gas storage operations, whichever is later, record a claim of interest as provided in section 2.

(2) Any interest in oil or gas deemed abandoned as provided in subsection (1) shall vest as of the date of such abandonment in the owner or owners of the surface in keeping with the character of the surface ownership.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act to the contrary, if a judgment of foreclosure is entered under section 78k of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.78k, for the nonpayment of delinquent taxes levied on property, an oil or gas interest in the property owned by a person other than the owner of the surface shall not be preserved from foreclosure under section 78k of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.78k, unless that interest is sold, leased, mortgaged, transferred, reserved, or subject to a claim of interest under section 2 and an instrument evidencing the sale, lease, mortgage, transfer, reservation, or claim of interest is recorded in the office of the register of deeds in the county in which the property is located during the 20-year period immediately preceding the date of filing a petition for foreclosure under section 78h of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.78h.

History: 1963, Act 42, Eff. Sept. 6, 1963 ;-- Am. 2006, Act 519, Imd. Eff. Dec. 29, 2006 Constitutionality: This act is not unconstitutional as applied in these cases. Van Slooten v Larsen, 410 Mich 21; 299 NW2d 704 (1980).