191945P.pdf   07/20/2020  Slawson Exploration Co., Inc.  v.  Nine Point Energy, LLC
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  19-1945
   U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota - Bismarck   
   [PUBLISHED] [Shepherd, Author, and Smith, Chief Judge, and Melloy, Circuit 
   Judge] 
   Civil case - Bankruptcy. Slawson and Nine Point's predecessor-in-interest 
   signed and oil and gas exploration agreement committing the 
   predecessor-in-interest to make a 10% payment towards the cost of 
   developing wells in which the predecessor-in-interest elected to 
   participate; when Nine Point filed bankruptcy, Slawson filed a proof of 
   claim for the 10% payments and argued they was not dischargeable because 
   the agreement was a covenant running with the land; the bankruptcy court 
   reserved the question and permitted Slawson to commence litigation to 
   resolve the issue; the district court did not err finding the obligation 
   did not run with the land under North Dakota law, as the obligation to 
   make the payment did not directly benefit the land; nor was the obligation 
   enforceable as an equitable servitude or a real property interest.