1. (a) If the title to coal is owned by joint tenants, tenants in common, or tenants by the entirety, whether the title is derived by purchase, legacy, or descent, any coal owner or owners vested with at least a one-half interest in the coal under the lands, or any coal lessee of the coal owner or owners, upon proper petition, shall be authorized to mine and remove coal from the land in the manner provided in this Act, provided, however, that a petition shall not be authorized under this Act for the mining and removal of coal by the surface method of mining unless all of the owners of the surface consent to the mining and removal of coal by the surface method of mining.

   This Act affects only coal owners, as defined in Section 10 of this Act, and does not affect the rights of surface owners, except to the extent that they may also be coal owners.

2. (b) The circuit court of the county in which the coal lands or the major portion of those lands lie has the power to declare a trust in those lands, appoint a trustee for all persons owning an interest in the coal who are not plaintiffs, and authorize the trustee to sell, execute, and deliver a valid lease on those lands on behalf of all of the defendants on terms and conditions approved by the circuit court for the purposes provided in this Act. The lease shall continue in full force and effect after the termination of the trust unless the lease has previously expired by its own terms.

(Source: P.A. 92-390, eff. 8-16-01.)