Can individual heirs property owners make decisions for all of the owners? Great question! The answer is yes, if the decision is something like, what type cakes to have at the family reunion. The answer is no, if the decision has anything to do with the jointly owned real estate, unless the owners have given authorization to the family member as demonstrated by a power of attorney.

Heirs property owners own the family real estate as "tenants in common" (TICs). TICs must have consensus among all of the owners for any decisions that have a legal connection to the property. This includes hunting, living, and earning an income from the property to getting maintenance performed, etc. Anyone making decisions with a legal impact, are liable to their co-owners and can be sued. Any agreements with third parties could and likely would be null and void due to the lack of consent.