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.
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 Crescent Region (Blackbelt Region)
State Training Teams List
Heirs' Property Ownership Toolkit for Mississippi Counties
Overview
The Heirs' Property Ownership toolkit is designed to help landowners, families, and community members understand heirs' property ownership in Mississippi. It explains how heirs' property is created when land passes to heirs without a will or probate, outlines Mississippi's laws of descent and distribution, discusses risks such as partition actions and tax sales, and provides practical steps for protecting family land and clarifying title. The toolkit also includes key legal terms, resources for families, and guidance on working with attorneys to preserve ownership and reduce the risk of land loss.
Purpose
The document serves as a public education resource to increase awareness of heirs' property issues, promote estate planning, and provide families with information and tools to help retain ownership of inherited land.
Upcoming Training Events:
Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level, Train-the-Trainer
Registration has reached capacity and is closed. Please check the training webpage for future in-person training opportunities.
If you are no longer able to attend, please contact the SRDC office at 662-325-3207 to cancel your registration and make your seat available to another participant.
October 28 & 29, Montgomery, Alabama
Embassy Suites by Hilton Montgomery Hotel & Conference Center
300 Tallapoosa Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
The workshop will provide practical information, resources, and strategies to help you better understand heirs' property issues and effectively share this knowledge within your community.
The National Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University will cover the cost of registration, workshop materials, hotel accommodations, and breakfast and lunch provided during the training. Participants are responsible for their own transportation costs and any meals not included as part of the workshop schedule.
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
Southern Extension and Research Activity (SERA) 49
Partners
