It's that time again! Annual Claims Paperwork

[clay]

As Land Matters does every new mining year we are offering for download our annual mining claims flow diagrams and written explanations of the annual BLM mining claim filing requirements. These filing aids have helped many claim owners wade through the BLM filing requirements.

These popular PDF handouts are updated for the upcoming 2021 mining year (beginning September 1, 2020). Feel free to share and post these wherever you wish as long as you don't modify them and keep them intact with their copyright notices.

Reminder
The federal filing deadline this year for all mining claims is Monday August 31, 2020.

Download the Free 2020 Annual Federal Mining Claims Filing Requirements

[chrisski]

I appreciate the product and the reminder.

I recently found out about Bridge Claims, have two fees due.

A Bridge Claim is when someone files a claim with the county prior to Sep 1 when fees are due with the BLM but uses the 90 days to file with the BLM, so its after Sep 1st.  Since the BLM considers the claim found with the date on the county filing, both years need to be paid.  This is discussed on page 67 of this BLM Packet https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/2018_mining_claim_packet.pdf  The price has went up to $165 from what is in this handout.

Someone might file a claim with the county August, but wait to file with the BLM until after Sept, and think only the locating fees are fue, but that is not the case.

I also noticed the BLM has closed claims because of no Proof of Labor when someone switches from the small miner waiver to a year such as 2015 to paying in 2016, but the claimant forgot to file the Affidavit of Assessment work for the prior year by Dec 2016.  Took them until February, but closed it out.

There's a lot of i's to dot and t's to cross when maintain claims and missing one step will close your claim.

Also know someone that paid for the wrong claim by writing the AMC# wrong and the BLM caught that and corrected it for him.

Edited August 11, 2020 by chrisski

[Jim P.]

Thanks for the reminder Clay! Also worth mentioning is that it's mail only, no walking it in this year until further notice due to Covid concerns. Get them in the mail and make sure you track it!

Later...Jim P.

[chrisski]

You can also payonline at

:https://payp.blm.gov/eppcore/home

I think this automatically updates the system.  Since less than 1/3 of the claims in my section are showing renewed, I think the BLM may have a backlog of mailed in documents.  Would not surprise me if they are working from home and the mail is a piling up!

I don't think a claim would be closed for them not checking the mail for the next few months, but if you're the type of person that checks LR2000 to see when the update has been made so you know the USPS did not lose your letter, the website works well.

Unfortunately, the website won't work for Small Miners Waiver or the Notice of Intent to hold.

EDIT: Just found this about the Copyright office.  I guess they are storing all mailings

"The Copyright Office building closed to the public on March 13, 2020 and the Office has been unable to receive in-person deliveries including those sent by courier or delivery service since that time. All mail received since then has been stored in the order in which it was received at an offsite facility. The Office will process these mailed items when Library buildings reopen." https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-coronavirus.html#mail.  I have no idea how this applies to any other agency, nor the 13 or so state BLM offices you would mail your claim to.

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by chrisski