Copeland Sand & Gravel, Inc. v. Estate of Dillard

This case concerns a dispute over the scope of a mineral rights reservation contained in a warranty deed that was executed in 1954 in Josephine County, Oregon. Defendant Skidmore, current owner of the mineral rights reservation, appeals a judgment of the trial court declaring that his rights “do not include any rights to sand, gravel, or other rock or earth materials, in whatever form, used for construction purposes.” Defendant does not challenge the trial court’s conclusion that sand and gravel are excluded from his mineral rights reservation, but he contends that “mineral” must be…