(a) The Secretary's right to cancel or forfeit a lease for any violation shall not adversely affect the title or interest of a bona fide purchaser of any lease or any interest therein. A bona fide purchaser must be a person, association, or corporation qualified to hold such lease or interest, even though the holdings of the party or parties from which the lease or interest therein was acquired or their predecessor(s) in title (including the original lessee of the United States), may have been cancelled or forfeited for any such violation.

(b) Any party to any proceedings with respect to a violation of any provision of the mineral leasing laws may be dismissed promptly as a party by showing that he/she holds and acquired his/her interest as a bona fide purchaser without having violated any provisions of the mineral leasing laws.

(c) If a party waives his or her rights under the lease, or if such rights are suspended by order of the Secretary pending a decision, rental payments and time counted against the term of the lease shall be suspended as of the first day of the month following the filing of the waiver or the Secretary's suspension until the first day of the month following the final decision in the proceeding or the revocation of the waiver or suspension.

[44 FR 42643, July 19, 1979. Redesignated and amended at 47 FR 33149, July 30, 1982]