Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the event of a transfer of ownership of land (or an ownership interest in land) by way of devise or descent, the Secretary of Agriculture may, if the new owner succeeds to the prior owner’s contract entered into under title XII,^[1] make payments to the new owner under such contract without regard to the amount of payments received by the new owner under any contract entered into under title XII  executed prior to such devise or descent.