Conoco Phillips Company v. Ramirez et al is a helpful reminder when preparing a document transferring title:

• “Family vernacular” is a great way to communicate in wedding toasts and funeral eulogies, not so much in land conveyances.
• Absent an express reservation, a conveyance of land includes both the surface and the underlying minerals.
• When there is a claim of ambiguity, extrinsic evidence may not be used to create doubt as to the plain meaning of the words.

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