Document / News Article

Heir Property: Legal and Cultural Dimensions of Collective Landownership

Posted 2007 Reviewed August 24, 2023
Source
Auburn University
Author
J.F. Dyer
About This News Article

When a landowner dies without a will, state law regulates what happens to the property, which may be passed down communally to family members. Existing literature describes heir property, as land held in this form is commonly referred to, as a cause of land loss among African Americans, and as a constraint to economic development in predominantly black communities. Most people and organizations interested in this subject view the presence of heir property in rural areas as inconsistent with modernity and unhealthy to economic stability and growth.

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