Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, all rents, royalties and other payments due under leases which have been or may be approved in accordance with this part shall be paid by check or bank draft to the order of the Treasurer of the United States and mailed to the Area Director for deposit to the credit of the various lessors. When lessees and purchasers are instructed, in writing, by the Area Director, which instructions shall be complete as to lessors for each lease, separate remittances for each payment due each lessor shall be mailed to the Area Director. Any payments under this paragraph, covering lands or interests therein from which restrictions have been removed by death or otherwise, may continue to be made in the manner provided by this paragraph until ten days after notice of relinquishment of supervision has been mailed to the lessee.

The Area Director may, in his discretion, whenever it appears to be in the best interest of any lessor, authorize and direct the lessee to pay directly to the lessor, or to the legal guardian of any lessor under guardianship, the rents, royalties and other payments (other than bonuses and advance payments for the first year) due under leases which have been or may be approved in accordance with the regulations in this part. Any such authority for direct payment shall be in writing, addressed to the owner or owners of the lease, and shall expressly provide for its revocation or modification at any time, in writing, by the Area Director. Written authorization for direct payment and written revocations or modifications thereof shall become a part of the lease and shall be distributed as in the case of original leases. All such revocations or modifications shall have a 5-day grace period after date of receipt. Rents, royalties, and other payments paid in accordance therewith shall constitute full compliance with the requirements of the lease pertaining to such payments.

Rents and royalties paid pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section on producing leases shall be supported by statements, acceptable to the Secretary or his duly authorized representative, to be transmitted to the Supervisor, in duplicate, covering each lease, identified by contract number and lease number. Such statements shall show the specific items of rents or royalties for which remittances are made, and shall identify each remittance by the remittance number, date, amount, and name of each payee.

Rents paid on nonproducing leases pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section shall be supported by a statement, acceptable to the Area Director, to be transmitted to the Area Director covering each lease, identified by contract number and lease number. Each remittance shall be identified by the remittance number, date, amount, name of each payee, and dates of mailing of remittances. Date of mailing, or, if remittance is sent by registered mail, the date of registration receipts covering remittances mailed, shall be considered as date of payment.

For leases other than oil and gas, all advance rentals and royalties for the first year shall be paid to the Area Director at the time of filing the lease, and the advance royalty and 20 percent of the first year's rental so paid shall be and become the property of the lessor, if the lease be disapproved because of the lessee's failure to meet the requirements of the law or of the regulations in this part or because of any other fault or defect chargeable to the lessee.