Gas driller sues county official

Objects to recorder of deeds’ practices

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — The Chesapeake Appalachia Gas Company has filed a lawsuit against Ginger Golden, the Wayne County Recorder of Deeds, over practices that the company claims are over and above state laws.

The brief, filed on June 3, does not ask for any monetary settlement but rather seeks an injunction to force Golden to stop practices which the company calls opposed to state laws.

The company, represented by the law firm of Reed Smith of Philadelphia, claims Golden instituted “blanket” policies outside the scope of state law governing her office, which have prevented the “immediate” access to the recording of natural gas drilling leases.

Golden’s office has handled about 8,100 gas drilling leases over the past four years, about 5,100 of them are Chesapeake leases.

Golden could not respond to questions because the case is on-going.

Chesapeake says Golden prevented the company from lumping 713 leases together in a single document that contains only one property owner’s name and the identification number of the parcel. It also says her office would not record a deed that did not contain the middle initial of the lesser and did not contain the notary stamp in the proper place on the document.

“She has done everything properly,” said Rod Bugaj, Golden’s counsel. “We think that they are wrong.”

Chesapeake asks the court to determine whether the procedures required by Golden’s office are in compliance with state laws, and if not, to prevent Golden from enforcing them.

Chesapeake’s media director did not want to comment. “You can quote any part of our brief as our final word on the case,” said Rory Sweeney from the company’s Towanda office.