Getting the Homeplace in Order: Heirs' Property Toolkit KY

“Getting the Homeplace In Order: Heirs’ Property Toolkit, KY” is designed to be a helpful, understandable, and relevant resource for anybody who owns — or will own — shared family land (heirs' property) in any of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Heirs’ property is real estate that is inherited by multiple people (heirs), typically family members, who share ownership of the property after the original owner dies. Property usually passes to multiple heirs because the property owner died without proper estate planning. The goal of this toolkit is to provide readers with introductory information about a broad range of topics related to heirs’ property. The content was written to feel relevant to Kentucky residents and their out-of-state kin, with topics chosen to address their concerns and needs while reflecting the cultural, economic, legal, and environmental dynamics of the Commonwealth. The toolkit is composed of four chapters: Understanding Heirs’ Property, Heirs’ Property Prevention, Heirs’ Property Challenges and Risks, and Tools for Resolving Heirs’ Property. Within these four chapters are twenty-two sections. While sections can be read together as one complete toolkit, they were also designed to be distributed as standalone fact sheets. These can also be paired with each other in different combinations to meet the specific needs of individual landowners. Finally, the toolkit ends with an appendix that includes a list of all resources referenced throughout the sections and the complete glossary with all the terms defined throughout.