Conferences
Alabama Heirs Property Alliance: Protecting Land, Lineage, and Legacy
Adam Rabinowitz, Jamie Mardis, Katie Keown, Justin Anderson, Ajoa Yemaya, Ryan Thomson, and Portia Johnson
Summary
Heirs property is a form of land ownership where property is shared among heirs and passed down without a clear title. It has plagued families across the nation for generations, leaving them vulnerable to loss and exploitation. Many families find themselves at a crossroads—where action is necessary to safeguard these legacies for generations to come. Without a clear title there exists a myriad of challenges—including legal disputes, vulnerability to forced sales, and limited access to resources for property maintenance, development. Agricultural production is also significantly limited due to the complexities of the land ownership.
The Alabama Heirs Property Alliance through Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative Extension System seeks to educate landowners about heirs property, empower families with the necessary tools and resources to resolve and prevent heirs property issues, and provide education and technical support to deal with the effects of heirs property. By advancing education of heirs property we promote understanding, resolution, and prevention strategies while strengthening connections to legal, agricultural, forestry, and financial resources. Our program includes printed and online publications, meetings, webinars, podcasts, and cross-sector collaborations. In 2025, we reached more than 1,840 individuals across 51 in-person events and meetings plus four online webinars. We also have distributed printed materials to extension offices in all 67 counties in throughout Alabama and have provided individualized technical assistance to 69 individuals in 2025 to help address their unique challenges to resolving heirs property issues. The guidance provided to Alabama landowners helps protect their land, lineage, and legacy.
Details
| Conference | 2026 Extension Risk Management Education National Conference |
| Presentation Type | Poster |