Dear Michael: I began ranching along with my two brothers decades ago. When our dad died, we were given the land jointly but later decided to divide it into equal pieces of land – a division that all of us thought was fair at the time.
kAmk6>m$:?46 E96?[ @?6 3C@E96C 92D =67E E96 @A6C2E:@? 3642FD6 96 5:5 ?@E =:<6 C2?49:?8 7C@> E96 86E\8@] w6 D@=5 >J 3C@E96C 2?5 x 9:D >249:?6CJ 2?5 42EE=6[ 3FE 96 <6AE E96 =2?5] (6 C6?E 7C@> 9:> ?@H]k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>m|J @E96C 3C@E96C =@G6D E@ C2?49 2D >F49 2D x 5@ 3FE 2== 9:D <:5D 2C6 8C@H? 2?5 ?@?6 92G6 2?J :?E6C6DE :? C2?49:?8] x[ >JD6=7[ 92G6 EH@ 3@JD H9@ DE2CE65 H@C<:?8 H:E9 FD `d J62CD 28@ 2?5 2AA62C E@ 36 E96 7FEFC6 @7 E96 72C>^C2?49 3FD:?6DD]k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>mx 2> 2 3:E ?6CG@FD H96? x E9:?< 23@FE E96 7FEFC6 3642FD6 >J 3C@E96CD @H? EH@\E9:C5D @7 E96 =2?5 H6 ?665 E@ 4@?E:?F6] %96J 92G6 2DDFC65 >6 E96J H2?E >J 3@JD E@ C2?49[ D@ >2J36 x D9@F=5 ?@E 36 H@CC:65] (92E 5@ J@F E9:?<n – ~?6\%9:C5 ~H?6Ck^6>mk^Am
kAms62C ~?6\%9:C5 ~H?6Ci *@F 2?5 J@FC 3C@E96CD ?665 E@ 36 4@?8C2EF=2E65 7@C 9@=5:?8 E9:D C2?49 @A6C2E:@? E@86E96C 7@C D@ =@?8 – 6G6? E9C@F89 E96 56A2CEFC6 @7 J@FC D:3=:?8] |@DE @A6C2E:@?D H@F=5 92G6 366? E@C? 2DF?56C =@?8 28@ 3J :?7:89E:?8 J62CD 28@] xE D9@HD H92E J@F 42? 5@ :7 J@F 2C6 2== @? E96 D2>6 A286]k^Am
kAm~?6 E9:?8 J@F 5:5 ?@E 4@>>6?E @? H2D H96E96C @C ?@E J@F 2?5 J@FC 3C@E96CD 92G6 2 3FJ\D6== 28C66>6?E E92E J@F 92G6 2== 28C665 E@ 2?5 D:8?65]k^Am
kAmp 3FJ\D6== 28C66>6?E :D 2? 28C66>6?E 36EH66? ;@:?E=J 96=5 @C ;@:?E=J FD65 2DD6ED 56E6C>:?:?8 H92E 92AA6?D :? E96 6G6?E @?6 @7 E96 A2CE:6D 49@@D6D E@ =62G6 E96 3FD:?6DD @C D9@F=5 5:6 2?5 H:D9 E@ EC2?D76C E96:C @H?6CD9:A @7 E96 AC@A6CEJ E@ @E96C A2CE:6D @FED:56 E96 A2CE?6CD9:A]k^Am
kAm*@F E9:?< E92E 36:?8 2D :E H2D D@ D>@@E9 H96? J@FC 3C@E96C =67E E96 3FD:?6DD E92E =:76 :D 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ 36 E92E D>@@E9] %92E :D E96 AC@3=6> H:E9 6DE2E6 A=2??:?8 E@52J] "F:E6 @7E6?[ :E :D 62DJ E@ D66 H92E :D 92AA6?:?8 E@52J[ H92E J@FC 4:C4F>DE2?46D 2C6[ H92E AC@3=6>D 2C6 92AA6?:?8 ?@H[ 2?5 E96? DFA6C:>A@D:?8 E9:D FA@? E96 3=F6AC:?E 7@C E96 7FEFC6] %92E :D D9@CE E6C> A=2??:?8 – 2DDF>:?8 E@52J E92E J@FC 7FEFC6 7:?2?4:2= :DDF6D H:== 36 H92E E96J 2C6 E@52J]k^Am
kAm|@DE 72C>6CD[ @7 4@FCD6[ <?@H E96J 42? 92G6 325 J62CD[ 2?5 :7 E96J 42? DFCG:G6 E9@D6 325 J62CD[ E96J 42? DFCG:G6 2?JE9:?8 ?@ >2EE6C 9@H 92C5 E96J 364@>6 2E E96 E:>6] %96J 2DDF>6 E9:D DFCG:G2= 23:=:EJ :D ?@H A2CE @7 E96 72C>^C2?49 @A6C2E:@? 7@C E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmx? 6DE2E6 A=2??:?8[ J@F ?665 E@ 5@ 86?6C2E:@?2= A=2??:?8[ H9:49 :D A=2??:?8 7@C H9@ :D 8@:?8 E@ @H? E96 AC@A6CEJ D@>652J] *@FC 3C@E96CD 2C6 6G6?EF2==J 8@:?8 E@ 5:6 2?5 =62G6 E96:C =2?5 E@ E96:C DA@FD6 2?5 E96? E@ E96:C 49:=5C6?] x7 J@F 5@ ?@E 92G6 2? 28C66>6?E 2D E@ 9@H J@F 2C6 2==@H65 E@ 3FJ E9:D =2?5 :? E96 7FEFC6[ 36 C625J E@ D:E :? @? E96 2F4E:@? 8@:?8 @? 7@C E96 =2?5 J@F 2C6 ?@H FD:?8]k^Am
kAm$E2E:DE:4D D9@H 2DD6ED H:== 36 D@=5 3J E96 E9:C5 86?6C2E:@? H:E9:? `g >@?E9D @7 E96 562E9 @7 E96 AC@A6CEJ @H?6C] (96? C6?ED 2C6 @?=J 2 7C24E:@? @7 H92E C6EFC?D @? E96 >@?6J 7C@> 2 D2=6 H@F=5 36[ J@F H@?’E DE2?5 2 492?46 @7 C6E2:?:?8 E9:D =2?5 @E96C E92? >2E49:?8 E96 9:896DE 3:556C]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 92G6 >@C6 E92? @?6 86?6C2E:@? @? E96 72C>[ 5@ ?@E ;FDE E9:?< 23@FE E9:D 86?6C2E:@?] !C@;64E E92E @?6 >@C6 86?6C2E:@? 29625 2?5 D66 9@H E9:?8D D92<6 @FE] %96? 92G6 2 A=2? E@ 42AEFC6 E9:D =2?5 :? E96 7FEFC6 \ 2D :7 J@FC 49:=5C6?’D DF446DD 56A6?5D @? :E] *@F 42??@E 277@C5 E@ AC@;64E E@52J’D 4:C4F>DE2?46D @? E96 7FEFC6] |25 >:DE2<6]k^Am
Michael Baron provides estate planning guidance at Great Plains Diversified Services in Bismarck, North Dakota. Email him at KeeptheFamilyFarm@gmail.com.
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
