Townes Van Zandt's ex-wife ran his estate, his eldest son questioned her title to the songs, and the family spent 11 years fighting the label that held his masters

Townes Van Zandt wrote "Pancho and Lefty" and "If I Needed You" and died on New Year's Day 1997, aged 52. He had married Jeanene Van Zandt around 1983 and divorced her in 1994. She said the divorce was structured to protect his assets from lawsuits if he hurt someone while driving drunk. After his death a court appointed her executrix. J.T. Van Zandt, his eldest son by his first marriage, was co-executor. In 2002 J.T. argued that federal copyright law returned the early copyrights to the three children alone, overriding the divorce terms. He hired his own lawyer. Jeanene called herself "a shark." Kevin Eggers, whose Poppy and Tomato labels held the first five studio albums, claimed half of more than 80 songs and reissued 14 albums. Jeanene said she had received no royalty statement from him since 1991. Eggers said she "illegally took the copyright in her name when it should have gone to the children." In March 2006 the family settled with Kevin's brother, Harold Eggers, the former road manager who held hundreds of live tapes. On 31 March 2008 a US District Court barred Kevin Eggers from reproducing or distributing Van Zandt's songs. Jeanene, her children Will and Katie Belle, and J.T. were all plaintiffs. Eggers said he would appeal. In 2026 the estate licenses the catalog, with Fat Possum Records reissuing the albums with the estate.