Progress 02/15/19 to 02/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:1. Heir property land owners 2. Officials in Office of County Revenue Commissioners who handle heir property 3. Service providers who deal with heir property 4. Students who are learning about heir property and its policy implications Changes/Problems:1. Access to county-level data 2. Volume of data 3. Different terminology that encompasses heir property including, et al, etal, estate, deceased, dec'd. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Community meeting sponsored by the Tuskegee University 2501 Project Community meeting sponsored by the Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program Community meeting sponsored by the Macon County Revenue Commissioner's Office What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Community meetings Publications to address heir property for community members Develop webpage material on heir property and its impact on individual, family and community income generation and long-term wealth creation
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Established relationship between heir property and significant cultural and social institutions in the African American Community: Historic Churches and related Schools. Established a relationship between heir property ownership and voting participation. Heir property owners vote at a significantly lower rate compared to owners of land with secured title.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bownes, T. and R. Zabawa. 2019. The Impact of Heir Property at the Community Level: The Case Study of the Prairie Farms Resettlement Community in Macon County, Alabama.. Johnson Gaither, Cassandra J.; Carpenter, Ann; Lloyd McCurty, Tracy; Toering, Sara, eds. 2019. Heirs property and land fractionation: fostering stable ownership to prevent land loss and abandonment. June 15, 2017, Atlanta, GA. E-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-244. Ashville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 105 p.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bailey, C.; R. Zabawa, J. Dyer, B. Barlow and N. Baharanyi. 2019. Heir Property and Persistent Poverty among African Americans in the Southeastern United States. Johnson Gaither, Cassandra J.; Carpenter, Ann; Lloyd McCurty, Tracy; Toering, Sara, eds. 2019. Heirs property and land fractionation: fostering stable ownership to prevent land loss and abandonment. June 15, 2017, Atlanta, GA. E-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-244. Ashville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 105 p.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
C. Bailey, B. Barlow, and J. Dyer. 2019.Practical Constraints to Timber Management among African American Owners of Heir Property. Landscape and Urban Planning, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.03.008.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Rosie Long, The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, AL. MS Thesis, Agricultural and Resource Economics Program, College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, Alabama. July 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
S. Thompson. Contextual Meaning Given to the Family Heirs Property Title Clearing Process. Presented at the Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
K. Woods, R. Zabawa, and S. Fall. The Relationship Between the Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American Community in Macon County, Alabama. Graduate Student Oral Presentation at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
K. Woods, R. Zabawa, and S. Fall. The Relationship Between the Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American Community in Macon County. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Loouisville, KY, Februrary 1-3, 2020.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kara Woods. Trust God and Go to Work : The Relationship between Heir Property, Social Institutions, and Civic Participation in Macon County, Alabama. PhD Dissertation, Integrative Public Policy and Development Program. Tuskegee University. May.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
R. Long and R. Zabawa. The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, Alabama. Presented at the Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
S. Turner, C. Johnson, and A. Harris. Heirs Property and Persistent Poverty What Do the Numbers Say?. Presented at the Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
|
Progress 02/15/15 to 02/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:1. Heir property land owners 2. Officials in Office of County Revenue Commissioners who handle heir property 3. Service providers who deal with heir property 4. Students who are learning about heir property and its policy implications 5. Professionals and researchers who are providing data and analysis for programs and policies to address heir property and heir property challenges Changes/Problems:RESEARCH CHALLENGES 1. data access: data in digital format is found in the county revenue commissioner's office. However, there were varying degrees of access: a. complete open access of all land tracts b. open access, but each land tract had to be downloaded individually c. restricted access on the number of files available, 500, 1,000, etc. d. restricted access, available for a fee 2. Amount of data: the number of land tracts per county runs in the 10s of thousands. This then includes the variouos characteristics for each land tract (acreas, use [residential, agricultural, forestry, industrial, etc.], land value, improvement value, total value, taxes, owner residence, etc. 3. Nomenclature: "Heir Property" is not always labeled as "heir property." Other terms include: estate, deceased or dec'd, et al or etal. 4. Demarcation of "community" for analysis: while a particular area may be known as the X, Y or Z "Community," how it is defined geographically is open to interpretation. For purposes for parts of this research, particularly for rural areas, historical African American churches (over 100+ years old) and schools associated with these churches were considered focal points for various communities in the county.. COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION PARTNER CHALLENGES Land Loss Prevention Project Outreach Challenges: Landowners frequently do not yet know their rights and responsibilities and often are unfamiliar with the negative collateral consequences of owning heir property until they experience a problem with, for example, gaining credit or making repairs. Contemplating heir property and will making encompasses issues of mortality, family alignment and sometimes family fractionation. Potential solutions may be time-consuming and can involve laborious tasks such as constructing a complex family tree with the assistance of a lawyer. Creation of business entities can require agreement, coordination, and patience among many family members to accomplish in order to establish the entity and deed in multiple interests. The topics can elicit uncomfortable emotions and can highlight the need to take potentially unpleasant steps to move, sometimes slowly, toward the desired resolution. In addition, simply maintaining heir property involves shared responsibility and for out-of-state family members, often for an unfamiliar asset. Too frequently, one family member or small set of family members shoulder the shared burden of, for instance, property taxes. Maintenance of property requires a level of heightened vigilance, even in terms of such family- centric baselines as maintaining current addresses for all heir owners. Such investments of time and money can erode the land's perceived value, emphasize disproportional exercise of responsibility, or simply seem incongruous or overly wearing and set the stage for land loss. Recent collaborative advances have been made. The LLPP brought to bear its deep experience in assisting heir property owners through direct legal services and its commitment to productive collaboration within the legal and agricultural community through the Rural Coalition to further equity on behalf of heir property owners in the current Farm Bill. A new Farm Bill provision allows farmers and ranchers who are heir property owners to get a farm number and gain access to USDA programs previously unavailable to them due to the heir property status. One way to access a farm number is through a state court determination that the property is delineated as heir property as defined under the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA), which allows for automatic qualification for a number. Several years ago, the LLPP was also part of the multi-year work to create the UPHPA itself which since that time been adopted in multiple states thus far. The Farm Bill requires the USDA in non- UPHPA states to identify other similar alternate forms of documentation of control of the land and to accept such documents. Part of the LLPP's future service involves implementation and ensuring that heir property owners are informed of the Farm Bill gains so the benefits enhancing family land stability and sustainability may be accessed. In Tillery, the LLPP works within the context of a community-based gathering, has the opportunity to connect in a richer way than within the context of an office setting, for example, and engages in repeat visits. A setting is created in which individuals who may be reluctant or unable to call a lawyer get to know their counsel and have multiple in-person opportunities to explore options. The Tillery site itself is important in that it is a center of community engagement where events are both organized and held, elder birthdays are celebrated, and a food pantry operates. The LLPP is in the process of introducing a new junior staff attorney to this body of work and to the Tillery community with her participating in the meetings along with a senior attorney to build the relationship and provide an additional resource as new family members within the area request services. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participated with community-based organizations that focus on heir property including the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund in the First National Heirs Property Conference, FORWARD 2020, December 4 - 6, 2020, Atlanta, Georgia. As described on their webpage: FORWARD 2020, a "boot camp" style event, offered Master Classes taught by experts and landowners who met one-on-one with resource professionals. This intensive, two-day conference was a one-stop shop that provided heirs with everything they needed to create a path forward. The National Heirs Property Conference featured two educational tracks; Track one focused on how heirs property owners could kick start their efforts to resolve their heirs property issues and unlock their land's wealth potential.Track two focused on professionals who work with heirs property owners. Track two included train-the-trainer educational sessions and Master Classes to sharpen skills and share peer-to-peer learning.The highlight of Track two was a comprehensive workshop on heirs property legislation and regulations contained in the 2018 Farm Bill. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1. meetings and family gatherings including reunions 2. community-specific meetings at local schools and historic sites 3. meetings that include community-based organizations and local officials including the mayor and revenue commissioner What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
CONTACTS 1. Established contacts with County Cooperative Extension Agents 2. Established contacts with Representaitves of the Local County Revenue Commissioner's Office for data retrieval 3. Established relationship between heir property and significant cultural and social institutions in the African American Community: Historic Churches and related Schools. 4. Established a relationship between heir property ownership and voting participation. Heir property owners vote at a significantly lower rate compared to owners of land with secured title. IMPACT OF HEIR PROPERTY 1. retrieved and analyzed heir property data 2. created land parcel categories based on land use (residential, agricultural, forestry, industrial, etc.) 3. highlighted the economic disparaties between land as heir property versus land with secure title in terms of assessment value - that is the impact of heir property on individual and family wealth and well-being 4. highlighted the economic disparaties between land as heir property versis land with secure title in terms of assessment value and taxes - that is the impact of heir property on community wealth and well-being (support for education, infrastructure, etc.) OUTREACH In the cases listed above, the constituent groups, individuals, families, community/county officials, do not know the extent of heir property and its impact personally, socially, economically. Outreach meetings with individuals, families, and local officials were used to present information on heir property and its impact. EDUCATION A one semester, 3-credit course was developed and co-taught by PIs, Robert Zabawa (Tuskegee) and Conner Bailey (Auburn) at Tuskegee University and Auburn University for students at both institutions. Weekly classes were rotated every-other week. This course became an official part of the Tuskegee University curriculum for the Agricultural and Resource Economics, MS Program and the Integrative Public Policy and Development, PhD Program. This research program produced three Masters Theses, two from Tuskegee University and one from Auburn University: Tristeen Bownes, MS: "Heir Property and Economic Impact in the Alabama Black Belt: A Case Study of the Prairie Farms Community in Macon County. MS Thesis in Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, Alabama. July 2017 Rosie Long, MS: "The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, AL." MS Thesis, Agricultural and Resource Economics Program, College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, Alabama. July 2019. James Patterson, III, MS: "Heir Property in the South: A Case Study of a Resettlement Community." MS Thesis, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Auburn University, Alabama. August 2018. This research produced one PhD Dissertation from Tuskegee University: Kara Woods, PhD: "'Trust God and Go to Work': The Relationship between Heir Property, Social Institutions, and Civic Participation in Macon County, Alabama." PhD Dissertation, Integrative Public Policy and Development Program. Tuskegee University, Alabama. May, 2020.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property and land Tenure in the South by C. Bailey, B. Barlow, J. Patterson, III and S. Godwin, Auburn University. Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 3-5, 2017, Tuskegee University, AL
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property and land Tenure in the South by R. Zabawa, N. Baharanyi and K. Woods, Tuskegee University. Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 3-5, 2017, Tuskegee University, AL
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property and land Tenure in the South by C. Baab, Alabama Appleseed . Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 3-5, 2017, Tuskegee University, AL
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property and land Tenure in the South. Professional Session at the Annual Meetings of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 3-5, 2017, Tuskegee University, AL
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property and land Tenure in the South by S. Horne, Land Loss Prevention Project . Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 3-5, 2017, Tuskegee University, AL
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Heir Property in the South: A Case Study of a Resettlement Community. James Patterson, III. MS Thesis, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Heir Property in the South: A Case Study of a Resettlement Community. James Patterson, III, Auburn University. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Rural Sociological Society, July 26-29, 2018, Portland, Oregon. Awarded the 2018 RSS Endowment Award, Masters Thesis
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. a. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 2-4, 2018, Tuskegee, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Jabeka Macklin, Folashade Adalumo, Dalal Alkordi, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 2-4, 2018, Tuskegee, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, February 3-4, 2019, Birmingham, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Dalal Alkordi, Folashade Adalumo, Jabeka Macklin, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Joint Annual Research Symposium, sponsored by Xi Honor Society, March 22, 2019. Tuskegee University. Awarded 2nd Place Graduate Student Oral Presentation
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Joint Annual Research Symposium, sponsored by Xi Honor Society, March 22, 2019. Tuskegee University. Awarded 3rd Place Graduate Student Oral Presentation
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, March 30 - April 3, 2019, Jacksonville, FL. Awarded 1st Place Graduate Oral Competition.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Folashade Adalumo, Dalal Alkordi, Jabeka Macklin, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, March 30 - April 3, 2019, Jacksonville, FL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, AL. Rosie Long, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, March 30 - April 3, 2019, Jacksonville, FL.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bownes, T. and R. Zabawa. 2019. The Impact of Heir Property at the Community Level: The Case Study of the Prairie Farms Resettlement Community in Macon County, Alabama.. Johnson Gaither, Cassandra J.; Carpenter, Ann; Lloyd McCurty, Tracy; Toering, Sara, eds. 2019. Heirs property and land fractionation: fostering stable ownership to prevent land loss and abandonment. June 15, 2017, Atlanta, GA. E-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-244. Ashville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 105 p.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Rosie Long, The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, AL. MS Thesis, Agricultural and Resource Economics Program, College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, Alabama. July 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
R. Long and R. Zabawa. The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, Alabama. Presented at the Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
S. Turner, C. Johnson, and A. Harris. Heirs Property and Persistent Poverty What Do the Numbers Say?. Presented at the Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
S. Thompson. Contextual Meaning Given to the Family Heirs Property Title Clearing Process. Presented at the Heir Property and Economic Issues in Agriculture. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
K. Woods, R. Zabawa, and S. Fall. The Relationship Between the Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American Community in Macon County, Alabama. Graduate Student Oral Presentation at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 8-10, 2019.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Bailey, C.; R. Zabawa, J. Dyer, B. Barlow and N. Baharanyi. 2019. Heir Property and Persistent Poverty among African Americans in the Southeastern United States. Johnson Gaither, Cassandra J.; Carpenter, Ann; Lloyd McCurty, Tracy; Toering, Sara, eds. 2019. Heirs property and land fractionation: fostering stable ownership to prevent land loss and abandonment. June 15, 2017, Atlanta, GA. E-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-244. Ashville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 105 p
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
C. Bailey, B. Barlow, and J. Dyer. 2019. Practical Constraints to Timber Management among African American Owners of Heir Property. Landscape and Urban Planning, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.03.008.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
K. Woods, R. Zabawa, and S. Fall. The Relationship Between the Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American Community in Macon County. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. Louisville, KY, Februrary 1-3, 2020.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kara Woods. Trust God and Go to Work : The Relationship between Heir Property, Social Institutions, and Civic Participation in Macon County, Alabama. PhD Dissertation, Integrative Public Policy and Development Program. Tuskegee University. May.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
The econoimic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, Alabama Using GIS Spatial Analysis by Tristeen Bownes, Graduate Student Poster for Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society of Agriculture session at the 74th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 2016, Tuskegee University,AL
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
T. Mitchell. Strategies to Stem Land Loss and Unlock Wealth for Heirs Property Owners. Panelist on Black Farmers Matter: Agriculture and Rural Development. Panel Discussion at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, San Antonio, TX, February 7-8, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
E. Thompson. Black Land Loss, Capital, and Youth in Agriculture. Panelist on Black Farmers Matter: Agriculture and Rural Development. Panel Discussion at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, San Antonio, TX, February 7-8, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
R. Copeland. Heirs Redeeming Property After the Expiration of the Redemption Period: Not All is Lost After the Tax Sale. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 6-8, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Understanding the economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, Alabama by Tristeen Bownes, Awarded First Place in Outstanding Graduate Student paper Competition at the Annual Meetings of the Soouthern Rural Sociological Association, February 2017, Mobile, AL
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property in Two Rural Alabama Communities by James Patterson, III. Paper presented at the 80th Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, July 2017, Columbus, OH
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, Alabama by Tristeen Bownes. Awarded First Place graduate Student Oral Presentation. 18th Biennial Research Symposium of the association of Research Directors. April, Atalnta, GA
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Heir Property and Economic Impact in the Alabama Black Belt: A Case Study of the Prairie Farms Community in Macon County. Tristeen Bownes. MS Thesis in Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture, Environment, and Nutrition Sciences, Tuskegee University, July.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
H.. Gray. Counting Black Farmers in the Agricultural Census. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 6-8, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Land Issues. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 6-8, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
C. Hylton. Education for Sustainable Development: Cultivating Land & Community. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 6-8, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
C. Bailey. Who Owns Alabama: Characteristics and Implications of Timberland Ownership. Professional Session at the Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, Tuskegee University, December 6-8, 2015.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
T. Bownes, R. Zabawa and N. Baharanyi. The Disappearance of the Black Farmer: Cultural and Economic Implications of Heir Property in the Rural South. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association. San Antonio, TX, Februrary 7-8, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Black Farmers Matter: Agriculture and Rural Development. Panel Discussion at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, San Antonio, TX, February 7-8, 2016.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
R. Zabawa. Black Farmers Matter. Panelist on Black Farmers Matter: Agriculture and Rural Development. Panel Discussion at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, San Antonio, TX, February 7-8, 2016.
|
Progress 02/15/16 to 02/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Staff and County Tax Assessor's Offices to obtain data on land parcels in the target region. Changes/Problems:Tuskegee University Research Challenges: 1. Access to data. For some counties, land parcel data is easily accessible and at no cost, while for other counties, data access is limited by fee charges. 2. Terminology. Heir property can be labeled under "heir," "etal," "et al," and/or "estate." Depending on the county. Land Loss Prevention Project Outreach Challenges: Landowners frequently do not yet know their rights and responsibilities and often are unfamiliar with the negative collateral consequences of owning heir property until they experience a problem with, for example, gaining credit or making repairs. Contemplating heir property and will making encompasses issues of mortality, family alignment and sometimes family fractionation. Potential solutions may be time-consuming and can involve laborious tasks such as constructing a complex family tree with the assistance of a lawyer. Creation of business entities can require agreement, coordination, and patience among many family members to accomplish in order to establish the entity and deed in multiple interests. The topics can elicit uncomfortable emotions and can highlight the need to take potentially unpleasant steps to move, sometimes slowly, toward the desired resolution. In addition, simply maintaining heir property involves shared responsibility and for out-of-state family members, often for an unfamiliar asset. Too frequently, one family member or small set of family members shoulder the shared burden of, for instance, property taxes. Maintenance of property requires a level of heightened vigilance, even in terms of such family-centric baselines as maintaining current addresses for all heir owners. Such investments of time and money can erode the land's perceived value, emphasize disproportional exercise of responsibility, or simply seem incongruous or overly wearing and set the stage for land loss. Recent collaborative advances have been made. The LLPP brought to bear its deep experience in assisting heir property owners through direct legal services and its commitment to productive collaboration within the legal and agricultural community through the Rural Coalition to further equity on behalf of heir property owners in the current Farm Bill. A new Farm Bill provision allows farmers and ranchers who are heir property owners to get a farm number and gain access to USDA programs previously unavailable to them due to the heir property status. One way to access a farm number is through a state court determination that the property is delineated as heir property as defined under the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA), which allows for automatic qualification for a number. Several years ago, the LLPP was also part of the multi-year work to create the UPHPA itself which since that time been adopted in multiple states thus far. The Farm Bill requires the USDA in non- UPHPA states to identify other similar alternate forms of documentation of control of the land and to accept such documents. Part of the LLPP's future service involves implementation and ensuring that heir property owners are informed of the Farm Bill gains so the benefits enhancing family land stability and sustainability may be accessed. In Tillery, the LLPP works within the context of a community-based gathering, has the opportunity to connect in a richer way than within the context of an office setting, for example, and engages in repeat visits. A setting is created in which individuals who may be reluctant or unable to call a lawyer get to know their counsel and have multiple in-person opportunities to explore options. The Tillery site itself is important in that it is a center of community engagement where events are both organized and held, elder birthdays are celebrated, and a food pantry operates. The LLPP is in the process of introducing a new junior staff attorney to this body of work and to the Tillery community with her participating in the meetings along with a senior attorney to build the relationship and provide an additional resource as new family members within the area request services. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Tuskegee University Research: Graduate students have been trained in data retrieval, input, analysis, report writing, and presentation before professional organizations. Land Loss Prevention Project Outreach: A. Meetings in Halifax County During this period, three additional meetings have been held in Tillery, N.C. These meetings were sited at the Tillery Community Center, 321 Community Center Rd, and hosted by the Concerned Citizens of Tillery/Open Minded Seniors group in conjunction with that group's gatherings. The local coordinator provides information to LLPP concerning community members' expressed needs to coordinate scheduling and issues the invitation. The LLPP meetings were in the form of a clinic providing one-on-one discussion and, if requested by the landowner, intake and/or case follow up. The LLPP attorney also participates in the larger event and engages with community members outside the clinic setting. The meetings took place on the following dates: • August 21, 2018 • October 16, 2018 • February 19, 2019 B. Meetings in other counties Three meetings were held in three additional counties with impact extending beyond the county lines. During this period, the LLPP also updated its Ten Ways to Save Your Land handbook and began distribution of the new edition. The meetings included presentations and staffed exhibit tables at conferences and small group presentations. The roster follows. 1. Durham County - October 21, 2018, conference presentation at the 8th Annual Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference at North Carolina Central University, B.N. Duke Auditorium, 1851 Fayetteville St., Durham, N.C. The LLPP's presentation reached 100 farmer-homeowners. LLPP also served as the local host organization for the multi-day conference. Agriculturalists, food entrepreneurs, educators, policy makers, lawyers, community leaders, and students participated in technical training, workshops, presentations, farm tours, and networking from October 19 - 21, 2018. This collaboration with the Black Urban Growers organization both fostered and provided robust support to peer-to-peer assistance and education for agriculturalists from across the U.S. and global south, many of whom are rising leaders. 2. Wake County - October 29, 2018, workshop at the Bailey Conference, held at the N.C. Rural Center, 4021 Carya Dr, Raleigh, N.C. The LLPP spoke at the conference, described as a strategic meeting of African Americans in the agricultural and rural community development fields, presenting and leading a discussion on estate and transition planning for farmers and rural landowners, the importance of having a will, and heir property and its challenges. Fifty people participated in the session. 3. Cabarrus County - November 11, 2018, loss mitigation event, held at CFA Suite 30 at The Village, 280 Concord Parkway N., Concord, N.C. The LLPP staffed an outreach table in collaboration with Legal Aid of North Carolina and Prosperity Unlimited to raise awareness of land retention strategies and services as well as assistance available to homeowners in mortgage distress. C. Number attending 1. In Tillery, the LLPP reached approximately 24 landowners through the clinic setting, encompassing follow up with those addressing heir property, wills, and related issues as well as discussion and intake with others. Six intakes were generated within the Tillery clinic setting. In addition, the LLPP reached approximately 158 African American homeowners, farmers, and landowners specifically on heir property, foreclosure avoidance, wills, and succession planning topics through the aforementioned events in Cabarrus, Durham, and Wake Counties. 2. Meeting Focus: Heir property, wills and trusts, etc. As detailed above, heir property, wills, and associated and complementary topics that arise in the context of preserving vulnerable property were explored with community members. Within the wider setting, business enterprise issues were more broadly addressed. 3. Mode(s) of presentation: workshop, handouts, etc. In totality, outreach was accomplished through conference presentation and staffed exhibit tables, small group presentations, and distribution of written materials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Currently, discussion have been underway with the Macon County Revenue Commissioner. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Expand the targeted regions for more detailed comparison between heir property and titled property owners across regions.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Continued access to land parcel data for inter- and intra-regional comparision of heir property and titled property as it impacts both indivudal and community wealth.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Joint Annual Research Symposium, sponsored by Xi Honor Society, March 22, 2019. Tuskegee Uiversity. Awarded 3rd Place Graduate Student Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, March 30 - April 3, 2019, Jacksonville, FL. Awarded 1st Place Graduate Oral Competition.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Folashade Adalumo, Dalal Alkordi, Jabeka Macklin, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, March 30 - April 3, 2019, Jacksonville, FL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Economic Impact of Heir Property in Macon County, AL. Rosie Long, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Association of 1890 Research Directors, March 30 - April 3, 2019, Jacksonville, FL.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Heir Property in the South: A Case Study of a Resettlement Community. James Patterson, III. MS Thesis, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Heir Property in the South: A Case Study of a Resettlement Community. James Patterson, III, Auburn University. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Rural Sociological Society, July 26-29, 2018, Portland, Oregon. Awarded the 2018 RSS Endowment Award, Masters Thesis.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. a. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 2-4, 2018, Tuskegee, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Jabeka Macklin, Folashade Adalumo, Dalal Alkordi, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 2-4, 2018, Tuskegee, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Relationship between Church, Land Ownership and Heir Property for the African American community in Macon County, AL. Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Souleymane Fall, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, February 3-4, 2019, Birmingham, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Folashade Adalumo, Dalal Alkordi, Jabeka Macklin, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, February 3-4, 2019, Birmingham, AL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
The Impact of Race and Region on the Incidence of Heir Property in Alabama. Dalal Alkordi, Folashade Adalumo, Jabeka Macklin, Kara Woods, Robert Zabawa, Tuskegee University. Paper presented at the Joint Annual Research Symposium, sponsored by Xi Honor Society, March 22, 2019. Tuskegee Uiversity. Awarded 2nd Place Graduate Student Oral Presentation.
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