Dominion Resources and Equitable Resources

A lawsuit has been filed and is seeking class action status against the two West Virginia natural gas producers for unpaid royalties. More than 10,000 individuals and business owners claim they were cheated out of natural gas royalties. The lawsuit was filed in US District Court in Charleston and claims Dominion and Equitable intentionally failed and refused to pay royalties to plaintiffs at a rate calculated on the fair value of the natural gas produced and marketed from leases. It also claims the two companies entered into a scheme designed to intentionally mislead plaintiffs into believing they were being paid all the royalties due them and charges the company with fraudulent misconduct.