Landlocked Land Questions, Answered
This page gives short answers to the questions landlocked land owners ask most: what landlocked means, whether a neighbor can block you, how easements work, what the land is worth, and how selling to us works. Each answer links to the full guide on that topic.
Most people who land here own a parcel they cannot reach by road. Some inherited it. Some bought it at a tax sale. Some had a path across a neighbor's land until the neighbor put up a gate. Whatever brought you here, the answers below are written in plain words and kept short on purpose.
The law on access is state law, so it changes from one state to the next. Legal terms here follow the definitions in Cornell Law School's Wex dictionary, including its entries on landlocked land and the prescriptive easement. Nothing on this page is legal advice for your parcel.
How to use this page
Scan the list under "All questions" and open the ones that fit your situation. Each answer runs two to four sentences. When a topic needs more room, the link under the answer takes you to the guide that covers it in full.
The questions fall into three groups:
- The basics. What landlocked means and why it matters. Start with what landlocked means if the word is new to you.
- Access. Whether a neighbor can keep you out and what a court can do about it. The background is in how to get access to landlocked property, with separate guides on the easement by necessity and the prescriptive easement.
- Value and selling. What the land is worth, whether you can build on it or sell it, and how a sale to us works. See what landlocked land is worth and how selling to us works.
If your question is about one state, the landlocked property laws by state guide is the better place to look.
If you already know you would sooner sell than spend years on an access fight, you can skip the reading and ask for a cash offer. It helps to have these ready:
- The county and state where the land sits
- The parcel number from your tax bill or deed
- The names of everyone on the deed
- Anything owed on the land, such as back taxes or a lien
The offer is free, we reach out the same business day, and you are under no obligation to accept it.
All questions
What does landlocked mean?
Landlocked land is a parcel with no legal way to reach a public road. Other private land surrounds it, and no recorded easement lets the owner cross that land. A dirt track you have always used does not count unless you have a legal right to use it. Being able to walk or drive in is physical access, and the law treats that as a separate thing from legal access.
Source: Cornell LII Wex: Landlocked
Read more: landlocked meaning
Why would someone buy landlocked land?
Buyers usually fall into a few groups. A neighbor may want to add the parcel to land they already own, which solves the access problem at once. Others plan to work out access themselves, or want the land for hunting, timber or a long-term hold. We buy it because sorting out access is the work we do.
Read more: how selling to us works
Is it legal to sell landlocked property?
Yes. A lack of road access does not stop you from selling, and you can sell the land exactly as it is.
Source: Cornell LII Wex: Alienable
Read more: is it legal to sell landlocked property
Can you build on landlocked property?
Often you cannot until legal access is in place, because many counties ask for it before they issue a building permit. The rules are local and change from one county to the next.
Source: New York Town Law 280-a (one state's permit rule)
Read more: can you build on landlocked property
What is landlocked land worth?
It is usually worth less than similar land with road access, because fewer people can use it or get a loan on it. The amount depends on the location, the size and how hard access would be to get.
Source: Fannie Mae Selling Guide, B4-1.3-04
Read more: what is landlocked land worth
Can a neighbor deny access?
If you have no easement, a neighbor can generally refuse to let you cross their land. That is not always the end of it. In many states a court can order access when the legal tests are met, and some states have their own access statutes. It takes time and money, and the result depends on your facts.
Source: Florida Statutes 704.01 (one state's access statute)
Read more: can you deny access to landlocked property
What is an easement by necessity?
It is a right of access that a court can recognize when a parcel was cut off from the road at the time a larger tract was divided. The usual tests are that both pieces once had the same owner and that the split left one piece with no way out. The details vary by state, and you normally need a court order or a signed, recorded agreement before a title company or lender will rely on it.
Source: Cornell LII Wex: Implied easement by necessity
Read more: easement by necessity
How long does a prescriptive easement take?
It takes years, and the exact number is set by each state. The use must be open, continuous and without the owner's permission for the full period. Even then, the right is not secure until a court confirms it or the neighbor signs a recorded agreement.
Source: Cornell LII Wex: Prescriptive easement
Read more: prescriptive easement
Do I have to fix the access problem before I sell?
No. You can sell the land as it sits, with no easement and no agreement with the neighbor. A buyer who takes it that way is taking on the access problem, and the price reflects that. Some owners decide the trade is worth it to avoid years of legal bills and waiting.
Read more: how selling to us works
Do I need a survey to sell?
You do not need a survey to ask us for an offer. We start with the county parcel number and public records. If a survey is ever needed for closing, we will tell you before you sign anything.
Read more: how selling to us works
Can I sell land with back taxes?
Yes, in most cases. Unpaid property taxes are normally paid at closing out of the sale price, and the title company handles that step. Tell us what is owed when you send the parcel details so the offer accounts for it. If a tax sale date is already set, say so, because timing matters. Once the county sells the land or the redemption period ends, you may have nothing left to sell.
Source: Florida Statutes 197.122 (one state's property tax lien)
Read more: how selling to us works
Can I sell inherited landlocked land before probate closes?
Sometimes. In general, the person the court appoints to handle the estate can sign a sale while probate is open, though some courts must approve it first. The rules depend on the state and on whether there is a will. We can make an offer now and set the closing date to fit the estate.
Source: Cornell LII Wex: Probate
Read more: how selling to us works
How fast can you close?
We reach out with the offer the same business day. After that, you choose the closing date, and the title company needs time to check the title and prepare the deed.
Read more: how selling to us works
Do you charge fees?
No. There are no fees and no commissions, and asking for an offer costs nothing. You are under no obligation to accept the offer we send. If you do accept, every cost is written into the purchase agreement before you sign.
Read more: how selling to us works
How do I get my offer?
Start at the offer form. Enter the county, the state and the parcel number, then add a line or two on what blocks the access. It should take about two minutes. We reach out with a cash offer the same business day.
Read more: get my same-day offer
Rather Sell Than Fight for Access?
If your question is really about getting out from under this land, we can help with that part. Send the parcel details and we will reach out with a cash offer the same business day.
Get My Same-Day OfferOwn Landlocked Land?
Get a same-day cash offer. No road access needed. No easement needed. No fees.
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Sources
- Cornell LII Wex: Landlocked
- Cornell LII Wex: Implied easement by necessity
- Cornell LII Wex: Prescriptive easement
- Cornell LII Wex: Probate
- Cornell LII Wex: Alienable
- New York Town Law 280-a: Permits for buildings not on improved mapped streets
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide, B4-1.3-04: Site Section of the Appraisal Report
- Florida Statutes 704.01: Common-law and statutory easements
- Florida Statutes 197.122: Lien of taxes