Any "form" will work as long as it meets all the following requirements for Oregon.
1. The name of the claim or claims if grouped and a reference to the record where the location notice of each such claim is recorded.
2. The number of days’ work done and the character and value of the improvements placed thereon, together with their location.
3. The dates of performing the labor and making the improvements.
4. At whose instance or request the work was done or improvements made.
5. The actual amount paid for the labor and improvements, and by whom paid, when the same was not done by the claim owner.
6. That the federal fee requirements have been met by the owner or agent and that the owner or agent intends to hold the claim in good standing for the applicable assessment year. [Amended by 1993 c.443 §1; 1999 c.654 §32]
Here's the deal with mining claim "forms". 99% of mining claims are owned by professional mining companies. Each company makes up their own location notices, transfers and annual filings typed up on their own letterhead. No Forms Are Used. These miners are very careful to meet all the legal requirements of both the state recording and BLM filing requirements. Mining claims are valuable property that form the basis for the mining companies value. Miners they don't mess around with pre made forms that rarely meet the legal requirements.
The BLM doesn't require, or expect to receive, a pre printed form except the 3830-2. They will not reject hand written filings as long as they are legible and have the required information.
Because 99% of mining recordings and filings are done by actual miners there is no incentive for a private company to make up 11 different forms that meet each state's requirements for the few small miners that can't or won't just type up the required information. There would be no profit in it. Instead they create a generic form that sorta kinda meets the requirements then print up several thousand to be sold slowly over the next 20 - 40 years. The only reason they even make a profit from the minimal sales is they mark up the cost of the printed piece of paper (or online form) by more than 1,000%.
There is nothing wrong with using a printed form IF all the required information is contained on the final form. . The only way the correct information will end up on the form is if the miner knows, understands and follows the requirements. At that point it's probably just as easy to type up the information on a plain piece of paper and record it yourself.
The legal requirements for annual labor, affidavits, location notices and transfers are different in each state. Find, read and understand those requirements before recording your affidavit. If you can find a form that meets all those requirements feel free to use it and please share it here.
Heavy Pans
