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An Owner is an individual or entity who has legal ownership of farmland, including individuals or entities that are any of the following:

• buying farmland under a contract for deed
  Note: USDA Office of the General Counsel (OGC), Regional Attorney will review contracts that are questionable before changing USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) ownership records.
• retaining a life estate in the property
• purchasing a farm in a foreclosure proceeding and both of the following apply:
• the redemption period has not passed
• the original owner has not redeemed the property
• a spouse in a community property State
• spouses owning property jointly.

County Committees (COC) will require specific proof of ownership when land ownership is transferred.

Source: USDA - Farm Records and Reconstitutions, page 22