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. The Socially Disadvantaged Farmer and Rancher Policy Research Center, 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.
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:
Open Upcoming Training Events:
June 8 & 9, 2025: Charleston, WV; Fundamentals
September 25 & 26, 2025: Louisville, KY; Fundamentals
September 29 & 30, 2025: Charlotte, NC; Advanced
October 1 & 2, 2025: Charlotte, NC; Fundamentals
November 4 & 5, 2025: Sante Fe, NM; Fundamentals
Fundamentals: Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level
Advanced: Must have previously completed Fundamentals to attend. Land Use and the 2018 Farm Bill, Land Valuation for Heirs' Property, and Heirs' Property Volunteer Navigator Initiative.
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.
Geographic areas heavily impacted:
- Appalachia
- Colonias of South Texas
- Mississippi River Delta Region
- Native American Tribal Lands
- Southern Cresent Region (Blackbelt Region)
State Training Teams List
Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA) 49
Partners
