I copied this from the Fed Register.
PART 3837—ACQUIRING A
DELINQUENT CO-CLAIMANT’S
INTERESTS IN A MINING CLAIM OR
SITE
Subpart A—Conditions for Acquiring a
Delinquest Co-Claimant’s Interests in a
Mining Claim or Site
Sec.
3837.10 Conditions for acquiring a
delinquent co-claimant’s interests.
3837.11 When may I acquire a delinquent
co-claimant’s interest in a mining claim
or site?
Subpart B—Acquisition Procedures
3837.20 Acquisition.
3837.21 How do I notify the delinquent coclaimant
that I want to acquire his or her
interests?
3837.22 How long does a delinquent coclaimant
have after notification to
contribute a proportionate share of the
assessment work, expenditures, or
maintenance fees?
3837.23 How do I notify BLM that I have
acquired a delinquent co-claimant’s
interests in a mining claim or site?
3837.24 What kind of evidence must I
submit to BLM to show I have properly
notified the delinquent co-claimant?
Subpart C—Resolving Co-Claimant
Disputes About Acquiring a Delinquest Co-
Claimant’s Interests
3837.30 Disputes about acquiring a
delinquent co-claimant’s interests.
Authority: 43 U.S.C. 2, 1201, 1457; 50
U.S.C. App. 501, 565; 30 U.S.C. 28.
Subpart A—Conditions for Acquiring a
Delinquest Co-Claimant’s Interests in a
Mining Claim or Site
§ 3837.10 Conditions for acquiring a
delinquent co-claimant’s interests.
§ 3837.11 When may I acquire a delinquent
co-claimant’s interests in a mining claim or
site?
(a) You may acquire a co-claimant’s
interest in a mining claim or site under
the following circumstances:
(1) You are a co-claimant who has
performed the assessment work, made
improvements, or paid the maintenance
fees required under parts 3834 and 3836
of this chapter;
(2) Your co-claimant fails to
contribute a proportionate share of the
assessment work, expenditures, or
maintenance fees by the end of the
assessment year concerned;
(3) You notify the delinquent coclaimant
of the alleged delinquency as
provided in § 3837.21; and
(4) If, within 90 days following the
date the delinquent co-claimant
received the notice provided for under
§ 3837.21 or 90 days following the end
of the publication period described in
§ 3837.21, the delinquent co-claimant
fails or refuses to contribute a
proportionate share of the assessment
work, expenditures, or maintenance
fees, the remaining co-claimants acquire
the delinquent co-claimant’s share in
the mining claim or site.
(b) You may not acquire a coclaimant’s
interest in a mining claim or
site if the co-claimant is on active
military duty.
Subpart B—Acquisition Procedures
§ 3837.20 Acquisition.
§ 3837.21 How do I notify the delinquent
co-claimant that I want to acquire his or her
interests?
(a) You must give the delinquent coclaimant
written notice by mail using
registered or certified mail, return
receipt requested, or by personal
service; or
(b) If, after diligent search, you cannot
locate the delinquent co-claimant, you
must publish notification in a
newspaper nearest the location of the
claims or sites at least once a week for
90 days.
§ 3837.22 How long does a delinquent coclaimant
have after notification to
contribute a proportionate share of the
assessment work, expenditures, or
maintenance fees?
The delinquent co-claimant must
contribute a proportionate share of the
assessment work, expenditures, or
maintenance fees within 90 days after
the date on which—
(a) The co-claimant received written
notice by mail or personal service; or
(b) The 90-day newspaper publication
period ended.
§ 3837.23 How do I notify BLM that I have
acquired a delinquent co-claimant’s
interests in a mining claim or site?
If you acquire a delinquent coclaimant’s
interests in a mining claim or
site, you must submit—
(a) Evidence that you properly
notified the delinquent co-claimant;
(b) An originally signed and dated
statement by all the compliant coclaimants
that the delinquent coclaimant
failed to contribute the proper
proportion of assessment work,
expenditures, or maintenance fees
within the period fixed by the statute;
and
(c) A non-refundable service charge
for a transfer of interest, as found in the
table of fees in § 3830.21 of this chapter.
§ 3837.24 What kind of evidence must I
submit to BLM to show I have properly
notified the delinquent co-claimant?
(a) If you gave written notice to the
delinquent co-claimant by personal
service, you must sign and submit a
notarized affidavit explaining how and
when you delivered the written notice
to the delinquent co-claimant.
(b) If you gave written notice to the
delinquent co-claimant by mail, you
must submit:
(1) A copy of the notice you mailed
to the delinquent co-claimant; and
(2) A copy of the signed U.S. Postal
Service return receipt from the
registered or certified envelope in which
you sent the notice to the delinquent coclaimant.
(c) If you published the notice in a
newspaper, you must submit:
(1) A statement from the newspaper
publisher or the publisher’s authorized
representative describing the
publication, including the beginning
and ending dates of publication;
(2) A printed copy of the published
notice; and
(3) A notarized affidavit attesting that
you conducted a diligent search for the
delinquent co-claimant, you could not
locate the delinquent co-claimant, and
therefore notification by publication
was necessary.
I hope this will help others with a similar situation as mine.
Geo-
I have done so much, with so little, for so long, that I am now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Now, I just have to find the time to put the dang thing together.