HSLA Structure
HSLA Organization specifics
To provide just a bit of background and history, the Haynesville Shale Landowners Association is a Member supported and driven organization - conceived by landowners just like yourself. These various landowners had residential lots on which they lived that attracted Oil and Gas firms for leasing. However, they had no sophistication and the cost of competent legal and geological advice was prohibitive for the small tract that they owned. They were concerned about the protection of their homeplaces, but wanted to cash in on the fabulous cash bonuses rumored to be paid for lease rights.
Several landowners banded together to find and hire competent legal advice. Many of the large local legal firms with this kind of oil and gas expertise were already representing Oil and Gas companies. They also found that many of the local attorneys did not have the oil and gas leasing and negotiating experience. The landowners found an attorney - Walter Johnson - who has been representing landowners for over 30 years in the oil and gas industry. He not only could help successfully negotiate country properties, but he created an approach to combine country and city properties by "bundling" them together for mutually beneficial leverage. From this relationship between the landowners and Walter Johnson the Haynesville Shale Landowners Association (HSLA) was formed to include not only sound and successful legal advice but also other licensed professionals who would make up the Board of the HSLA. The Haynesville Shale Landowners Association, Inc. is governed by a board of directors which gives us the ability to make decisions for the landowner using the best up-to-date legal, geological, tax and investment information. In addition to these licensed professionals, we have several top administrators who give our board of directors not only balance - but creativity.
These landowners sought out professional help from attorneys familiar with the leasing business who were used to representing landowners with the same kinds of problems as they foresaw in their leasing endeavors. Usually Oil and Gas Leases are concerned with larger tracts of country property (and the Landowners organization welcomes Members with larger tracts also), but the same principles apply to City property as country property, it was just necessary for the landowners organization to “bundle” the many smaller sized tracts into larger tracts for this to work out economically. The HSLA was formed then, to work with landowners helping them to navigate the waters of the oil and gas industry from the first lease contract all the way to the final negotiation table. That is the basic function of the Association.
On joining the HSLA -
Individuals choosing to join the group will be entitled to current information updates and joint leasing of their property as blocks of sufficient size are amassed to provoke competitive prices from the Oil and Gas Companies. A small membership fee is paid at joining ($50). This fee defrays the costs of establishing the Web based database and information dissemination system. Annual renewals are $25 each.