Heirs' Property

Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level

Background:

Heirs’ property is a significant cause of land loss. To address this concern, a team of leading educators in the field have designed a three-part training program to help community members take action to protect their lands. The three sections walk participants through an overview of heirs’ property, strategies for preventing heirs’ property, and key considerations in resolving heirs’ property.

Target Audience: The train-the-trainer workshop is designed for Land-Grant professionals who will, in turn, use the materials to provide training to families and communities in their home states.

Upcoming Training Events:

Check back for more trainings in 2026.

The National Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University, the Southern Risk Management Education Center (SRMEC), and the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) are anchor partners in the effort through funding from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Farm Service Agency, and the National Resource Conservation Service.

Fundamentals: Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level Train-the-Trainer

Advanced: Must have previously completed Fundamentals to attend. Land Use and the 2018 Farm Bill, Land Valuation for Heirs' Property, and Community Voices: Heirs' Property Volunteer Advocates.

For more information, contact Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, r.scammahorn@msstate.edu

What is heirs' property?

Overview

The USDA defines heirs’ property as land that has been passed down informally from generation-to-generation. In most cases, it involves landowners who died without a will. Heirs’ property is land owned “in common” by all of the heirs, regardless of whether they live on the land, pay the taxes, or have ever set foot on the land.