Since vassals appointed as land stewards by the bakufu did not always have the authority to settle territorial disputes, they were also often appointed by manorial lords and imperial government officials as manorial officials ("shokan" in Japanese), local magistrates ("gunji"), local administrators ("goji") or governor of imperial territories ("hoji") to give them appropriate authority.
所領を巡る紛争（所務沙汰）の際には、幕府の保証する地頭の地位だけでは必ずしも十分ではない場合もあり、地頭の中には荘園領主・国司から荘官、郡司、郷司、保司として任命される者も少なくなかった。