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Farmers' Advocacy Office Closed

The office at 1032 - 103 Ave. in Dawson Creek is now closed. To assist landowners, Aspen Grove Property Services will continue to provide surface lease and land sale data on this website.

Surface Lease Taxes in Arrears?

Oct 15/12
We have had a number of enquiries from landowners who have received a copy of a property tax arrears notice from the BC Surveyor of Taxes, for well sites on their land.

This is a concern because it may indicate that the oil and gas company is in financial trouble.

Here are two facts that we have confirmed with the Surveyor of Taxes:

  1. The land owner will not be liable for the outstanding taxes because the asset being taxed is not a fee simple asset, it is a lease.
  2. There will be no collection action against rural land owners.

There is cause for concern if a company is in financial difficulty. A landowner needs to be aware in case a company abandons its operations, so that recourse can be sought through the Oil and Gas Commission's Orphan Fund for clean-up and removal.

More news...

who we are

Farmers' Advocate by Aspen Grove has the goal of equipping land owners to deal in their own best interests in the negotiation of surface leases and rights of way associated with the oil and gas industry.

what you’ll find

How the System Works

before you sign a surface lease...

Many surface leases do NOT comply with BC Law. Before signing surface lease documents, make sure the lease document complies with the Surface Lease Regulation B.C. Reg. 497/74 (link opens in a new window).

Government Action Required

After

days

landowners are still waiting for the BC Government to pass regulations giving the Surface Rights Board the tools necessary to make surface lease information available to the public.

Without access to this surface lease information, landowners remain at a disadvantage when negotiating for fair compensation.

The Oil and Gas Activities Act and amendments to the PNG Act came into force days ago, on October 4, 2010, yet the Surface Rights Board still lacks government regulations to

  • penalize companies that do not file their landowner surface leases, and
  • publish the surface leases that are filed

Right now, Peace region landowners may view those leases that have been filed, between the hours of 8:30 and 4:30 at the offices of the Surface Rights Board in Richmond!

The Farmers' Advocate by Aspen Grove has limited remote access to surface leases filed at the Surface Rights Board and makes them available on our Surface Lease Map.

However, until all surface leases are filed, and made publicly accessible, landowners remain at a disadvantage.

Now is the time to level the playing field, comply with the law (link opens in a new window), and equip landowners with the information they were promised!