Usually there are many heirs to ancestral properties, since most families had 5 or more children 50 years ago or earlier. Typically in smaller cities and towns, many family members are relocating to other states or cities due to professional or personal reasons.
The family member or members who remain in the city or town where the ancestral property is located, often occupy the entire property, if there is no one monitoring their activities. In some cases, the family remaining in the city may update the other heirs to the property, otherwise they do not bother.
Only when the other heirs visit the property, they will find out the changes in the property or how the family remaining in the city has occupied the entire property without asking for permission.