Guide
Runsheet vs MOR vs title opinion
Three documents that get mixed up, and who is responsible for each.
General information only. This guide explains common practice in plain terms. It is not legal advice, and practice varies by state, county and attorney. Ask the examining attorney how they want something done.
Three documents, three jobs
People use these terms loosely, and it causes trouble when a client expects an opinion and receives a runsheet. Here is the plain difference.
| Runsheet | Mineral ownership report (MOR) | Title opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A dated list of the instruments of record for a tract. | A summary of owners and their fractions, built from the record. | A written legal conclusion on who owns what, with requirements. |
| Who prepares it | A landman or title researcher. | A landman or title researcher. | An attorney. |
| Draws conclusions? | No. It reports what is of record. | It states what the record appears to show. It is not a legal opinion. | Yes. That is its purpose. |
| Typical use | Input for an attorney, lease checks, internal review. | Planning leasing, screening a deal, a working ownership list. | Drilling, paying owners, financing, closing a purchase. |
| What we provide | Yes. | Yes. | No. We build the packet. The client's attorney writes the opinion. |
How they fit together
The runsheet comes first. A mineral ownership report is the runsheet boiled down. A title opinion is an attorney's reading of the runsheet and the instruments behind it. Each step relies on the one before. If the runsheet misses an instrument, everything after it can be wrong.
Which one to order
- If you are deciding whether to lease or buy, a mineral ownership report or a cursory look is often enough.
- If you need an opinion for drilling or division orders, send a full runsheet and instruments to the attorney. See drillsite vs division order opinions.
- If you are not sure, ask the person who will rely on the result what they need to see.
Ordering the right one
If you are not sure which document you need, send us the project and we will say which one fits. We build the runsheet, the mineral ownership report and the packet for the attorney's opinion, with technology doing the first pass, a person reviewing, and enough landmen behind it to meet your date.
Next: Drillsite vs division order title opinion. Or go back to all resources.
Not sure what to order?
Tell us what the title is for, the county and your date. We will recommend a runsheet, an ownership report or an opinion packet, and send a quote. Write to jc@sectionlineland.com.