Why do trust beneficiaries have to share land ownership with others?
When trust asset owners die without a will, their heirs inherit portions of their trust assets. This practice has continued as land has passed from generation to generation, and more and more heirs have acquired interests in the land. Today, there are parcels of land in trust that have more than 1,000 owners. Tribes and Interior are working on solutions to this massive problem—called “fractionation.” For example, the Indian Land Consolidation Program purchases small ownership shares in allotted lands from willing sellers. The purchase of these small fractional interests and transfer of the interests to the tribe increases the likelihood of more productive economic use of the land and decreases the number of interests subject to probate.
