Dearing v. State Ex Rel. Commissioners of the Land Office

OPALA, Justice:

At issue here is the correctness of the trial court’s judgment quieting title in the plaintiffs to a claimed mineral estate. Under challenge below was the State’s ownership of minerals underlying 798 acres of *228land. The land in litigation consists of two tracts: Tract I, known as the “railroad strip”, covers a narrow strip of approximately 16 acres; Tract II comprises the remaining 782 acres. The State counterclaimed to quiet its title in the minerals underlying both of these tracts.1 By agreement of the parties the quiet-title claims were all tried and decided first. The…