SERA49: Heirs' Property: Impacts at Family, Community, and Regional Levels

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[04/11/2025] [04/09/2026]

Date of Annual Report: 04/11/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 02/05/2025 - 02/05/2025
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2023 - 01/31/2025

Participants

Business meeting participant list is included in the attachment.

Brief Summary of Minutes

Summary of annual business meeting minutes attached.

Accomplishments

The overall Heirs’ Property multi-state group operates a listserv (102 members for the general listserv and an heirs’ property research subgroup with 43 members). There were monthly virtual meetings, coupled with periodic working group meetings held on their own schedules. Additionally, members of the group have organized special sessions at professional conferences, including the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Rural Sociological Society, and the Southern Rural Sociological Association/Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists. In February 2025, the multi-state group held a virtual annual business meeting. Working Groups Activities, outputs, and outcomes of the working groups are mentioned in the Impact Statements portion of this report, but more details are provided here. Research The Research Working Group met three times in 2024. The Ethics working group initially started as a sub-committee of the research group before becoming an independent operation. In addition to the working group meetings and two projects described below, the research committee also expanded the shared research file of heirs’ property scholarship to 298 total articles. Network Survey - Several scholars in the research and legal-policy working groups have developed a new partnership with the Center for Heirs Property Preservation (CHPP) and the Heirs' Property Practitioner Network (HPPN). This survey collected both qualitative and quantitative data primarily focused on mapping the larger heirs' property social network and corresponding geospatial locations. After three rounds of distributing the survey to the Extension trainees, researchers, and legal working groups, we received 112 complete responses. These responses listed an average of 7.1 references to other people, giving the network of roughly 516 actors spread across the country. The qualitative descriptive breakdown of the larger composition revealed the following: Legal Service Providers (183), Technical Assistance (99), Research (55), Extension/Education (146), Policy (50), and Funders (26). The research project is scheduled to be released in 2025 across a few sub-studies. Ethics Working Group - An offshoot of the Research Working Group, the Research Ethics subgroup was formed to engage with the ethical dimensions of working with heirs’ property information and to develop strategies to reduce vulnerability for individuals, families, and communities. This includes addressing how we work with and protect both primary and secondary information. In addition to monthly and then biweekly calls, the group also developed a formal project that has included a Delphi meeting (hosted at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta), a listening session with landowners, five focus groups, and conference presentations (Professional Agricultural Workers, Southern Rural Sociological Association). The group has received additional support for the work via a grant from JPMorganChase to the Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University. Next steps include a research convening and the development of toolkits for researchers, attorneys, and outreach/Extension professionals. Extension and Outreach The Understanding Heirs' Property program, the Extension and Outreach branch of SERA49, has demonstrated significant progress in addressing this critical issue. With over 810 professionals trained, the program has built a strong foundation for community-level change across twelve (12) states: Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Outputs of the program include over a dozen state resources, brochures, and a national repository.  Multi-university partnerships have enhanced collaboration and resource sharing. Outreach efforts have raised awareness among target audiences, and preliminary data indicates success in resolving title issues for some families. These outcomes highlight the program's effectiveness in empowering communities to address the challenges of heirs' property and improve land ownership security. Preliminary data indicates increased awareness of heirs property issues among target audiences and documented progress in resolving title issues for some families. Legal-Policy The Legal-Policy Working Group held virtual meetings from October 2023 to January 2025, facilitating discussions among academic partners, non-profit representatives, and others to address policy developments and strategies. The meetings featured notable guests such as heirs’ property attorneys, legislative staff, and a county public probate administrator. Regular attendees included organizations like the Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University, National Consumer Law Center, and various academic institutions, all engaged in policy-related issues. Presentations Numerous professional presentations were made by members based on work affiliated with SERA49. Illustrative meetings are listed here. Conner Bailey:  Professional Agricultural Workers Conference; Rural Sociological Society; Southern Poverty Law Center. John J. Green: Association of 1890 Research Directors, Association of 1890 Extension Administrators, Association of Southern Region Extension Directors, agInnovation South, Advancing Mississippi. Mary Henderson: Real Property Fall CLE Seminar. Annette Hiatt: Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference; Croatan Institute Stakeholder Meeting; Heirs’ Property Symposium. Savie Horne: Gaining Ground Documentary Commentary. Portia Johnson: Heirs’ Property Boston Conference; Understanding Heirs Property at the Community Level Trainings -  Birmingham, Houston, Orlando, Memphis, Raleigh. Francine Miller, National Consumer Law Center; Professional Agricultural Workers Conference; Rural Sociological Society; Southern Rural Sociological Association; Heirs’ Property Train the Training Workshops - Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando, Montgomery, Raleigh; Heirs’ Property Boston Conference; National Farm Viability Conference; Multiple webinars for CBOs regarding heirs’ property. Christina Rice: Croatan Institute Stakeholder Meeting; Heirs’ Property Symposium; Real Property Fall CLE Seminar 2023. Roseanne Scammahorn: Understanding Heirs Property at the Community Level Trainings - Birmingham, Memphis, Orlando, Raleigh; NOPBNRCSE Minority Farmer Meeting. Jasmine Simington: Heirs’ Property Boston Conference. Becky Smith: Southern Rural Sociological Association; Advancing Mississippi Conference;  Understanding Heirs Property at the Community Level Trainings - Atlanta, Birmingham, Houston, Memphis, Raleigh, San Juan. Kurt W. Smith:  Small Farms Week; North Carolina Extension Conference; Penn State University; Southern Political Science Association; Professional Agricultural Workers Conference; Regional Small Farms Conference; North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association; Forest Service Law and Policy Group Research; several county-level Extension trainings; IUFOR Forest Knowledge Exchange, Padova Italy; IUFRO Small Scale Forestry, Stockholm, Sweden; IUFOR-Small Scale Forestry, Tartu, Estonia. Jennie Stephens: Heirs’ Property Boston Conference. Ryan Thomson: Professional Agricultural Workers Conference; Rural Sociological Society; Southern Rural Sociological Association; Heirs Property Train the Training Workshops - Atlanta, Birmingham, Houston, Montgomery, Raleigh, Orlando, San Juan;  Heirs’ Property Boston Conference; Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund Heirs’ Property Bootcamp; Southern Poverty Law Center; Alabama Heirs’ Property Alliance ACES Training; Watchparties 1, 2, 3, 4; Community Outreach - Camp Hill, Haynesville, Birmingham. Sandra Thompson: Southern Rural Sociological Association. Understanding Heirs Property at the Community Level Training - Atlanta, Birmingham, Houston, Memphis, Orlando, Raleigh, San Juan. Kara Woods: Professional Agricultural Workers Conference; Rural Sociological Society; Southern Rural Sociological Association; Heirs’ Property Train the Training Workshops - Birmingham, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Montgomery, Orlando, Raleigh, San Juan; NOPBNRCSE Minority Farmer Meeting; Heirs’ Property Boston Conference; National Farm Viability Conference. Robert Zabawa: Professional Agricultural Workers Conference; Southern Rural Sociological Association; Understanding Heirs’ Property at the Community Level Trainings - Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Orlando, Raleigh, San Juan. Media Engagement Ryan Thomson: NBC News, Union of Concerned Scientists, Associated Press, ABC News, Miami Herald. Kara Woods, Ryan Thomson, Robert Zabawa, Connor Bailey, Policy Center Live: Heirs’ Property, What is the Magnitude, and What are the Associated Problems. Policy Research Center located at Alcorn State University. New Funding New funding was obtained by members to support their work related to SERA49 during the reporting period. Jennifer Pindyck (PI), Christian Lopez, and Ryan Thomson,  “All in the Family”: Recognizing new Typologies in Family-Owned Rural Cooperative Housing.” College of Architecture, Design and Construction Seed Grant, Auburn University. ($10,000) - 2024 to 2025. Adam Rabinowitz (PI), Ryan Thomson, Portia Johnson, Adam Kantrovich, “Building Wealth Through Transition of Heirs Property Owners to New Agricultural and Forestry Production” Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program. USDA-NIFA, USDA-2023-49400-40876. ($750,000) - 2024 to 2026. Danielle Rudolph (PI), Kimberly Holmes, Kelly McTear, Portia Johnson, and Ryan Thomson. “Saving the Family Property: Heirs’ Property Prevention, Resolution, and Land Use.” 1890 Extension Capacity Building Grant, USDA-NIFA. ($250,000) - 2024 to 2026. Eloris Speight (PI), Kara Woods (Collaborator), John Green (Co-PI). “Heirs’ Property Research and Ethics Toolkits.” JPMorganChase. ($300,000) - 2024-2025. Eloris Speight (PI), “Advancing Heirs’ Property Training” USDA-FSA ($4,500,000) - 2022-2027. Subawards were made to multiple universities during the reporting period for SERA 49. Subaward universities include: Tuskegee University, Florida A&M University, South Carolina State University, Virginia State University, Prairie View A&M University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina A&T University, Lincoln University, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Kentucky State University, Alabama A&M University, New Mexico State University, Southern University, Tennessee State University, Alcorn State University, West Virginia State University. Eloris Speight (PI), “Ag Financial, Tax and Asset Protection Program: Understanding Heir's Property at the Community Level,” University of Arkansas. ($700,000) - 2024 to 2027. Ryan Thomson (PI), Kara Woods, Portia Johnson, Robert Zabawa, Roseanne Scammahorn, Rebecca Smith. “Gaining Ground: Advancing Agricultural Production by Addressing Heirs' Property” Small and Medium Size Farms.” USDA-NIFA, USDA-2024-68006-42501. ($750,000) - 2024 to 2027. Awards and Recognition SER49 members received awards recognizing their work on topics related to heirs' property. Conner Bailey.  Distinguished Rural Sociologist.  August 2024 meetings of the Rural Sociological Society. Alabama Heirs Property Alliance (Portia Johnson, Ryan Thomson, Robert Zabawa). PAWC Success Award. November 2024 Professional Agricultural Workers Conference. Additional Illustrative SERA49 Participant Excerpts Conner Bailey: Presented research on quantifying the extent and value of heirs' property regionally (Appalachia and the South) and nationally (Objective 2). This policy-relevant research will help policymakers design and implement programs to benefit owners of heirs’ property (Objective 3). Invited participant in a workshop sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy designed to assist this Institute in identifying opportunities for engagement with other stakeholders in the heirs’ property (Objective 4). Contribute to the SRDC train-the-trainer programs on heirs’ property through involvement in curricular design (Objective 1). John J. Green: Helped to coordinate/provide support to the heirs’ property multi-state group and assisted with the research ethics subgroup (Objective 1). The latter included leadership on developing the Institutional Review Board application for focus groups (Objective 2). Green also collaborated with SERA49 member Robert Zabawa and managing editor Elizabeth Sweeney to edit and publish a special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences (Objective 2). Led the development of heirs’ property survey questions to be included in a three-region general household survey conducted through the Regional Rural Development Centers (Objective 2). Emma Scott: Assisted with coordination of the Policy-Legal Working Group, facilitating dialogue to address heirs' property issues with SERA49 members and guest speakers (Objective 4). Ryan Thomson: Hosted two additional trainings at the state level through the Alabama Heirs Property Alliance (AHPA) (Objective 4); one at the 4-H Center in Columbiana (1/9/2024-1/10/2024) and the second in Birmingham (5/28/2024-5/29/2024), which was also a Continued Learning Education Credit for the Alabama American Bar Association (ABA). Kara Woods: Presented research to inform Cooperative Extension professionals concerning overall facts about heirs’ property and land loss, along with training staff across the U.S. (Objective 1)  including Raleigh, NC (02-27-29/2024); Birmingham, AL (05/28-29/2024); Raleigh, NC (10-28-30/2024); Orlando, FL (11/12-14/2024). Policy-relevant research will help policymakers design and implement programs to benefit owners of heirs’ property, especially as it relates to the Farm Bill (Objective 3). Robert Zabawa: Presented research to inform Cooperative Extension professionals concerning overall facts about heirs’ property and land loss, along with training staff across the U.S. (Objective 1), including Raleigh, NC (02-27-29/2024); Birmingham, AL (05/28-29/2024); Raleigh, NC (10-28-30/2024); Orlando, FL (11/12-14/2024). Presented material before community members on heroes property (objective 4) including: Mosses, AL (1/26/2024); Selma, AL (03/20/2024); Union Springs, AL (07/15/2024); Tuskegee, AL (08/08/2024); Mobile, AL (08/21/2024).

Publications

SERA49 members reported numerous publications during the reporting period. These included edited and peer-reviewed chapters, journal articles, and Extension publications. Chapters and Articles Johnson Gaither, C. 2024. "Heirs’ Property and Its Ramifications." In: Elgar Encyclopedia of Sociology, pp.354-358. (ed): Overdevest, C. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803921044.ch63">https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803921044.ch63</a>  Throne, R. 2024. "A Critical Data Ethics Analysis of Algorithmic Bias and the Mining/Scraping of Heirs' Property Records." In B. Verma, B. Singla, & A. Mittal (Eds.), Digital Technologies, Ethics, and Decentralization in the Digital Era. Premier Reference Source. IGI Global. Bailey, Conner, G. Rebecca Dobbs, Cassandra Johnson Gaither, and Ryan Thomson.  2023.  "Heirs’ Property: Where, How Much, and Why Does it Matter?"  Heirs’ Property Issue Brief 23-1.  Starkville, MS:  Southern Rural Development Center.  <a href="https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/HP-brief-Bailey-Dobbs-Gaither-Thomson-6.2023-final.pdf">https://srdc.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/HP-brief-Bailey-Dobbs-Gaither-Thomson-6.2023-final.pdf</a> Smith, Kurt W. 2024. “The Necessary Role of Extension in Preventing Land Loss through Heirs Property Ownership.” Journal of Extension <a href="https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol62/iss2/6/">https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/joe/vol62/iss2/6/</a> Smith, Kurt W., Fred Land Cubbage. 2024. "Land Fragmentation and Heirs' Property." Current Issues and Policy Responses<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040459"> https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040459</a> Thomson, Ryan, and Conner Bailey. 2023. "Identifying Heirs’ Property: Extent and Value Across the South and Appalachia." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38(2): Article 2. Available at: <a href="https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/iss2/2">https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/iss2/2</a> Zabawa, Robert, John Green, and Elizabeth Sweeney, editors. 2023. "Special Issue on Heirs’ Property." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38(1): Available at: <a href="https://open.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/">https://open.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/</a>  Zabawa, Robert, John Green, and Elizabeth Sweeney. 2023. "Introduction to the Special Issue on Heirs’ Property." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 38(1): Article 3. Available at: <a href="https://open.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/iss1/3">https://open.clemson.edu/jrss/vol38/iss1/3</a> Extension Publications Johnson, Portia, Ryan Thomson, Adam Rabinowitz, and Katie Keown. 2024. Heirs Property in Alabama. ACES Extension Publication HE-0852. <a href="https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HE-0852-Heirs-Property__COMPRESSED_091624L-G.pdf">https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HE-0852-Heirs-Property__COMPRESSED_091624L-G.pdf</a>  Mardis, Jamie, Adam Rabinowitz, Ryan Thomson, and Portia Johnson. 2024. Preparing Family Landowners in Alabama for Hurricanes. <a href="https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farm-management/preparing-family-landowners-in-alabama-for-hurricanes/">https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farm-management/preparing-family-landowners-in-alabama-for-hurricanes/</a>  Smith, Kurt W. 2023. Heirs’ Property. Ag-946 <a href="https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/heirs-property-ownership">https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/heirs-property-ownership</a> Smith, Kurt W. 2023. Keeping the Land: Succession Planning for Landowners. Ag-952 <a href="https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/keeping-the-land">https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/keeping-the-land</a>

Impact Statements

Organized three working groups (research, outreach and extension, and legal-policy) and one sub-group (research ethics) to advance research and Extension efforts across institutional and state lines.
Developed a collaborative publications archive (with 298 articles) and conducted two collaborative original research projects. 1) An heirs' property networking survey with 112 respondents. 2) An heirs' property research ethics study with a delphi convening, landowner listening session (31 participants), and five focus groups (with a total of 26 participants.).
Refined and delivered the "Understanding Heirs' Property at the Community Level" train-the-trainer curriculum program, leading to over 810 professionals now trained and offering programming across twelve (12) states: Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Date of Annual Report: 04/09/2026

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 02/03/2026 - 02/03/2026
Period the Report Covers: 02/01/2025 - 02/03/2026

Participants

The meeting participant list is attached.

Brief Summary of Minutes

The Heirs’ Property (SERA-49) Multi-State Initiative’s Annual Meeting took place in Louisville, Kentucky, February 3, 2026, from 9 am – 4 pm. Forty people from across multiple states attended the meeting. The event was moderated by Danyelle O’Hara (Center for Heirs’ Property) and Francine Miller (Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at the Vermont Law and Graduate School), and the agenda is posted below.

Agenda

Welcome and agenda overview

Overview of Heirs Property in Louisville and Kentucky

Cassandra Johnson Gaither, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station

Kevin Slovinsky, LiKEN Knowledge

Kentucky Panel

Tia Bowman, Executive Administrator, Office of Housing and Community Development, Louisville

Cindi Sullivan, Executive Director, TreesLouisville

Casey Townsend, Kentucky State University Extension, Land Tenure Specialist

The Heirs’ Property Landscape: Findings from Heirs’ Property survey conducted by Center for Heirs’ Property, Southern Rural Development Center, Auburn University, and Vermont Law and Graduate School

Danyelle O’Hara and Alexa Stephens, Center for Heirs’ Property

Ryan Thomson, Auburn University

National Heirs’ Property Alliance

Michelle Mapp, consultant

Business Meeting

Ethics Toolkit Pilot

Grace Johnsen, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Sarah Stein, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

John Green, SRDC/Mississippi State University

Ryan Thomson, Auburn University

Philanthropic Approaches to Heirs’ Property

Moderator: Sarah Stein, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Meagan Mitchelle, Housing Assistance Counsel

Ruth Gao, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Yary Munoz, JP Morgan Chase

Working Group Breakout sessions

Policy – Francine Miller

Research – Cassandra Johnson Gaither

Outreach – Danyelle O’Hara

Closing and next steps

Summary Notes

Overview of Heirs Property in Louisville and Kentucky

Kevin Slovinsky and Cassandra Johnson Gaither provided geographic and social context of Kentucky, along with a window into heirs’ property in the state. This context provided the framing for a panel conversation with Tia Bowman, Cindi Sullivan, and Casey Townsend, who work in Kentucky the fields of housing and community development, urban trees, and land retention, respectively.

Tia and Cindi discussed the challenges of vacant and abandoned property in the City of Louisville, how these properties correlate with areas that have few trees and experience urban heat island effects, and how many of these properties are in heirs’ property. The City of Louisville is developing programs and partnering with legal aid organizations to help property owners address their heirs’ property issues and identify options for moving forward with their property. The nonprofit TreesLouisville is helping communities plant trees to increase canopy cover throughout the city, which not only increases financial and aesthetic value of property, but also decreases the heating impacts of climate change, and has other social values. Casey discussed how heirs’ property is an issue in rural areas throughout the state of Kentucky. Kentucky State University Extension is working with heirs’ property owners to explore options for land use, such as shitake mushrooms, paw paw trees, freshwater shrimp, etc. KYSU is helping landowners with succession planning to avoid heirs’ property.

The Heirs’ Property Landscape Analysis

Danyelle O’Hara and Alexa Stephens, from Center for Heirs’ Property, presented a summary of findings from a survey developed and disseminated in summer 2024 by CHP, SRDC, VGLS, and Auburn University. The survey, designed to understand the growing field of heirs’ property, got roughly 200 responses. The survey sought to understand who is doing what, where, with whom, for how long, and with what resources related to heirs’ property. The concentration of responses to the survey came from the southeast, where the survey developers had most of their contacts. As such, the survey findings aren’t definitive but provide a snapshot to catalyze discussion. Ryan Thomson, from Auburn University, shared maps developed from the survey data, as well as maps that showed the flow of tax bills on property in Alabama, Appalachia, Mississippi, and coastal South Carolina to points north and west, illustrating where absentee owners reside.

Discussion focused on the need for more resources for outreach and education, accessible legal services, and support staff for attorneys. The group also discussed the need for a coordinating body for the plethora of heirs’ property work underway. This was a segue into a presentation by Michelle Mapp, a consultant with the Center for Heirs’ Property, who provided an update on an exploration of the need and feasibility for creating a National Heirs’ Property Alliance, which would provide some of these coordinating services. The Alliance would be a membership organization that includes individuals/community members associated and not associated with organizations. The Alliance would focus on capital, community wealth, technology for practitioners, mass coordination for policy advocacy, and partnership building with other sectors.

Business Meeting

A business meeting was held where SERA-49 leadership asked participants to formally join SERA-49. Casey Townsend from Kentucky State University accepted the nomination to serve as chair elect. Danyelle O’Hara will serve as chair for 2026, Kevin Slovinsky will remain the secretary, and other working group chairs will remain the same (Francine Miller and Heather Way, legal/policy and Cassandra Johnson Gaither, research). At a subsequent meeting, Alexa Stephens was nominated to serve as the outreach chair. Gregory Goines and Thomas Dobbins will continue serving as administrative advisors to SERA-49.

Ethics Toolkit Pilot

At various meetings and conferences, the ethics working group has conducted focus groups and conversations about the ethical challenges of heirs’ property work. The working group uses a bioethics framework requiring autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. The multiple professions and fields involved in heirs’ property (law, financial services, real estate, social work, community development, land use) have different approaches to ethics, so it’s most feasible to establish an ongoing conversation about ethics rather than a one-time conclusion.

Research, legal, and community outreach small groups explored scenarios provided by the workshop organizers. Notes from each small group were provided to the organizers.

Philanthropic Approaches to Heirs’ Property

What do practitioners need to know about philanthropy?

Moderated by Sarah Stein, panelists Meagan Mitchelle, Ruth Gao, and Yary Munoz discussed the work of their organizations in relation to heirs’ property. Highlights from this dialogue are posted here.

Philanthropy can take models working on the ground and replicate them in other places.

What does it look like to reactivate the flow of capital to communities that have been divested from? In the case of heirs’ property, this might be by getting the lending system to see heirs’ property owners as viable clients. Philanthropy can help make this case by funding pilot projects.

Although some funders will support pilot projects, others prefer not to and would rather invest in established programs with track records.

Philanthropy is often looking for projects that can become self-funded or leverage long term funding, not just stop when funding stops. It’s hard for funders to invest in something that will not clearly be self-sustaining.

Funders want to see how many heirs’ property titles were cleared with 1 or 2 years of funding, but that’s not viable. To address heirs’ property, we must make long term changes, so funders have to adjust their time horizon. There’s obviously a tension between wanting immediate impacts over short periods of time and the need for long-term investment to address entrenched issues, like heirs’ property.

Working Group Breakout sessions

The policy, research, and outreach working groups met to begin conversations about 2026 workplans.

Accomplishments

<h1> </h1> The overall Heirs’ Property multi-state group operates a listserv with over 300 members, along with an heirs’ property research subgroup listserv. There were monthly virtual meetings, coupled with periodic working group meetings held on their own schedules. Additionally, members of the group have organized special sessions at professional conferences, including the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Rural Sociological Society, and the Southern Rural Sociological Association/Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists. In February 2026, the multi-state group held an in-person annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. <h2>Working Groups</h2> <h3>Research</h3> <h3>A network has been developed to share research questions, methods, publications, and other opportunities to advance both basic and applied research on heirs’ property.</h3> Input was solicited from the Research Working Group members about how they saw the team moving forward and received constructive feedback on better integrating this Working Group with the others making up SERA 49. Also discussed was investigation of funding opportunities for the group. It was decided that the group would hold quarterly meetings and invite people in to report out on their research or possibly other work related to policy or outreach. Speakers during the reporting period included Jerry Pennick (formerly with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund) who shared applied research questions and concerns. He also shared research ideas from the Emergency Land Fund’s 1980 publication that had been articulated but not addressed. Based on this input, going forward the Research Working Group will strive to balance research presentations that are more applied with basic research on the topic. At the beginning of 2026, Belay Alem, a recent University of Florida graduate presented on taxation and dispossession of heirs’ property owners in Alachua County, FL. This exchange was fruitful in that it provided a forum for emerging heirs’ property scholars to present their work in a friendly environment. <h3>Extension and Outreach</h3> Train-the-trainer curricula (basic and advanced) were offered to better equip professionals to provide outreach and education services to individuals, families, and communities concerned about heirs’ property. The Extension and Outreach Working Group continued to offer train-the-trainer opportunities for people working in the Cooperative Extension System at Land-Grant Institutions along with those at community-based organizations and firms providing legal assistance. During the reporting period four Understanding Heirs’ Property Train-the-Trainer workshops were offered (KY, NC, OK, WV), along with two advanced training workshops (KY, OK). An additional effort was undertaken to advance curriculum insights and approaches in working with Tribal Communities (NM). People trained through these programs are then able to teach from the materials in their states and communities. During a breakout session at the SERA 49 annual meeting, the Extension and Outreach Working Group discussed that the train-the-trainer curriculum has been successful and taken on a life of its own, so now a broader team will work to articulate new priorities and additional areas of work.  Through the Alabama Heirs’ Property Alliance’s On the Heir podcast, we helped broaden access to heirs’ property information by translating complex legal and research issues into a public-facing educational format. Through the Alliance’s intake and education efforts, we supported 69 families, with 12 completing the full intake and educational process during the reporting period. (Objective 4)  <h3>Legal-Policy</h3> Legal and policy initiatives were shared, studied, and used to convey opportunities for collaborations, innovations and development of ecosystems to provide support for people dealing with heirs’ property. The Policy Work group includes 85 members and held 5 virtual group calls during this period. We have about 25-30 people attend each meeting, on average. During the virtual meetings, members engaged with attorneys, researchers, and non-profit organizations. Heather K. Way (University of Texas School of Law) and her students presented on home repair access for heirs’ property owners and policy innovations happening in this area. Jill Apter (Boston College Law School) shared her team’s progress on developing a model tenants in common agreement. Kristopher Smith and John Sapora of LISC National and LISC Jacksonville explained how they have built an ecosystem of support in Jacksonville to tackle heirs' property issues and develop policy proposals. Other speakers included the following. <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Chris Garland: National Community Stabilization Trust; </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Sarah Mancini: National Consumer Law Center;</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Amanda Colon-Smith: Pew; and</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Rachel Gallegos: Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.</li> </ul> <h3> Ethics</h3> A research-informed ethics guidebook for heirs’ property was developed, pilot-tested, and refined. The Ethics Working Group has been developed as a new team since the time of the initial SERA 49 proposal. The group conducted extensive research on ethical issues confronted in heirs’ property work, especially among legal, outreach and education, and research professionals. During the reporting period, this information was used to develop, pilot test, and refine a guidebook, with presentations and workshops at meetings including those hosted by the Heirs’ Property Practitioners Network, Professional Agricultural Workers, Rural Sociological Society, and the Southern Association of Agricultural Sciences/Southern Rural Sociological Association. An event was also hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and participation in pilot sessions was supported through JPMorganChase, the National Policy Center at Alcorn State University, and the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University. <h2>Presentations</h2> Andrea Barnes: Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights. Nicole Cook: ECO City’s Beginning Farmer Training Program; Law Day at the Nanjemoy Community Center Chris Garland: Urban Institute. Mavis Gragg:  Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Policy Summit; Urban Institute. John J. Green: Association of 1890 Research Directors; Association of 1890 Extension Administrators; Association of Southern Region Extension Directors; agInnovation South; Advancing Mississippi. Brianna Jackson: Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights. Nancy Lee: Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights. Karama Neal: Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights; North Carolina Rural Summit; Leading Locally; Pine Bluff Heirs’ Property Convening; Arkansas Heirs’ Property Convening; Untangling a Complex Problem: Heirs’ Property, Estate Planning and Technology; Heirs' Property Investing to Preserve Wealth in New Jersey; Urban Institute. Michael Neal: Urban Institute. Danyelle O’Hara: Regenerative Agriculture Foundation; America the Beautiful for All Coalition. Kevin Slovinsky: Eastern Kentucky Farmers Conference; Appalachian Studies Association; Southern Rural Sociological Association; Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Policy Summit; Mountain State Land Use Summit. Jill Stein: American Land Title Association; National Association of Realtors Sarah Stein: Heirs' Property Practitioners Network; Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Policy Summit; Urban Institute; Urban Affairs Association. Ryan Thomson: Professional Agricultural Workers; Rural Sociological Society; Southern Rural Sociological Association; SERA-49 Annual Meeting, Neighborhood Housing Services Birmingham Event. Casey Townsend: Southern Rural Sociological Association; Kentucky Small Farmers Conference. Joshua Walden: Black Farmers’ Coalition; National Urban League; Initiative on Land, Housing, and Property Rights. Heather Way: Urban Affairs Association Kara Woods: Heirs' Property Practitioners Network; Professional Agricultural Workers;2025 National Rural Housing Conference; Rural Sociology Society. Robert Zabawa: Professional Agricultural Workers. <h2>Policy Outreach </h2> Joshua Walden: Education for South Carolina legislators on South Carolina House Bill 4510, relating to the redemption of real property, to allow for heirs to redeem deceased owners' property in certain circumstances. <h2>Media Engagement</h2> Jennie Stephens: New York Times; Non-Profit Quarterly; Capital B News. Kristopher Smith: Florida Times-Union. Ryan Thomson: AL.com. Dadeville Recorder.  <h2>Relevant Teaching </h2> Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University: 2 PhD Dissertations <h2>Individual Summaries </h2> John J. Green Helped to coordinate/provide support to the heirs’ property multi-state group and he assisted with the Ethics Working Group and its development of a guidebook. Green also collaborated with SERA-49 member Robert Zabawa and managing editor Elizabeth Sweeney to review and edit papers for a new, second special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences focused on heirs’ property.  Kara Woods Presented research to inform Cooperative Extension professionals concerning overall facts about heirs’ property and land loss, along with training staff across the U.S., including Charleston, WV (6/7-9/2025), Louisville, KY (9/25-27/2025), Charlotte, NC (9/30-10/1/2025), and Oklahoma City, OK (11/3-5/2025). Policy-relevant research will help policymakers design and implement programs to benefit owners of heirs’ property, especially as it relates to the Farm Bill. Conner Bailey Wrote and submitted to the University of North Carolina Press a book-length manuscript on heirs’ property in the southeastern United States. Two positive reviews were produced by external readers for the Press. Several members of SERA-49 also provided constructive critiques. Revisions are being made, and the final draft manuscript will be submitted before May 1, 2026, with an expected publication date in early Spring 2027. The book has benefited greatly from the author's interactions over the years with members of SERA-49 through monthly virtual meetings, from whom he has learned much.   Ryan Thomson Presented heirs’ property research and ethics work to national professional audiences through the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, the Rural Sociological Society, the Southern Rural Sociological Association, and the SERA-49 annual meeting, strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange across the Southern Region. A new NIFA-funded project, “Addressing heirs' Property: Bridging the Gap Between Rural Communities and Development Institutions,” expanded resources for applied research to support heirs’ property owners and the institutions that serve them. Robert Zabawa Presented research to inform Cooperative Extension professionals concerning overall facts about heirs’ property and land loss, along with training staff across the U.S., including Louisville, KY (September 2025) and Charlotte, NC (October 2025). Also present an introduction to heirs' property to the community organization in Birmingham, AL (April 2025). Policy-relevant research will help policymakers design and implement programs to benefit owners of heirs’ property, especially as it relates to the Farm Bill. Zabawa collaborated with SERA-49 member John Green and managing editor Elizabeth Sweeney to edit a special issue on heirs' property in the Journal of Rural Social Sciences (see John Green above). The same team is collaborating on a second issue on heirs' property in the same journal. Anthony Coker Brings over a decade of experience in foreclosure defense and homeownership preservation in Central Brooklyn, working with CAMBA Legal Services and Neighbors Helping Neighbors to assist families navigating foreclosure, deed theft, and "tangled" heirs’ property titles. Coker led the development of the homeownership program at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and helped launch the Black Homeownership Project with the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. Currently, he is leading a project funded by the Ponce de Leon Foundation to expand estate planning education by connecting homeowners with free legal services and document generation, utilizing cash incentives to increase program engagement. This work provides policy-relevant data to help design and implement programs that benefit owners of heirs’ property and protect intergenerational wealth in historically marginalized communities. <h2>Overall Impacts</h2> SERA-49 increased regional capacity to address heirs’ property by strengthening collaboration among research, Extension, legal, and community partners across the South and other regions. During the reporting period, the project supported the development and exchange of new knowledge, expanded training and outreach efforts, advanced policy and practice discussions, and refined ethics guidance for professionals working on heirs’ property issues. Collectively, these activities helped policymakers, service providers, and rural residents better understand heirs’ property challenges, their implications for families and communities, and practical strategies for prevention and resolution.

Publications

<h1>Publications</h1> <h2>Journal Articles</h2> Kim, A., Green, J., Johnson Gaither, C., Dobbs, G. R. 2026. Analyzing Heirs’ Property Prevalence and Spillover Effects in the U.S. Using Spatial Econometric Analysis. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. Published online 2026:1-21. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2025.10016">https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2025.10016</a>  Mitchell, T. W. 2026. The Heirs’ Property Field: Moving From the Shadows to the Light to Enlightened, Evidence-based Solutions. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 1–13. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2025.10021">https://doi.org/10.1017/age.2025.10021</a> <h2>Extension Publications</h2> Green, J. J., Johnsen, G., Johnson, P., Neal, K., Stein, S., Thomson, R., & Woods, K. 2026. Ethical Engagement in Heirs’ Property Work: A Guide to Inform Dialogue and Practice. Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University & National Policy Research Center at Alcorn State University. <a href="https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/srdctopics-heirsproperty/6/">https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/srdctopics-heirsproperty/6/</a>  Johnson, P., Thomson, R., Rabinowitz, A., & Keown, K. 2024. Heirs Property in Alabama.  Alabama Heirs’ Property Alliance. <a href="https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HE-0852-Heirs-Property__COMPRESSED_091624L-G.pdf">https://www.aces.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/HE-0852-Heirs-Property__COMPRESSED_091624L-G.pdf</a>  <h2>Additional Publications</h2> Diaz, J. 2025. Heirs’ Property: Investing to Preserve Wealth. Asset Funders Network. <a href="https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_Investing_Heirs_Property_Report.pdf">https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_Investing_Heirs_Property_Report.pdf</a>  Diaz, J. 2026. Heirs’ Property: Investing to Preserve Wealth in Philadelphia. Asset Funders Network. <a href="https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_HeirsProperty_Philadelphia_SROI_.pdf">https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_HeirsProperty_Philadelphia_SROI_.pdf</a>  Diaz, J. 2026. Heirs’ Property: Investing to Preserve Wealth in New Jersey. Asset Funders Network. <a href="https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_NJ-Heirs-Property-SROI.pdf">https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_NJ-Heirs-Property-SROI.pdf</a> Flanigan Sutherland, M., Mancini, S. B., & Stark, A. B. 2026. New Jersey: State-Level Policy Scan of Laws Impacting Heirs’ Property. Asset Funders Network. <a href="https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_NJ_Heirs-Property-Checklist.pdf">https://assetfunders.org/wp-content/uploads/AFN_NJ_Heirs-Property-Checklist.pdf</a>   Moodie, N., Mitchell, M., Sackey, J., George, L. 2026. Understanding Ownership, Unlocking Investment: Clarifying the Legal Process for Title Resolution and Opportunities for Financial Funding for Heirs’ Property. Housing Assistance Council. <a href="https://heirscentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-Clarifying-the-Legal-Process-for-Title-Resolution.pdf">https://heirscentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-Clarifying-the-Legal-Process-for-Title-Resolution.pdf</a>

Impact Statements

A network has been developed to share research questions, methods, publications, and other opportunities to advance both basic and applied research on heirs’ property.
Train-the-trainer curricula (basic and advanced) were offered to better equip professionals to provide outreach and education services to individuals, families, and communities concerned about heirs’ property.
Legal and policy initiatives were shared, studied, and used to convey opportunities for collaborations, innovations, and development of ecosystems to provide support for people dealing with heirs’ property.
A research-informed ethics guidebook for heirs’ property was developed, pilot-tested, and refined.