June 7, 2013 – TriCities – District judge will make final ruling on gas royalty suit status

District judge will make final ruling on gas royalty suit status

Posted: Thursday, June 6, 2013 8:15 pm | Updated: 8:25 am, Fri Jun 7, 2013.

BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

ABINGDON, Va. – A jury might one day get to decide whether energy companies cheated thousands of Southwest Virginia landowners out of millions of dollars in natural gas royalties, thanks to a federal magistrate judge’s recommendation to allow a series of class-action lawsuits.