You’ve found the perfect plot of land, but before you start clearing, planting or building; it’s important to be aware of the type of access available. Public road access isn’t always a given. The sooner you are informed on the best options for accessing a property the better you can determine whether or not it will be a good investment.
Public access, deeded access and undeeded access are the three most common legal categories of access. The simplest type, public access, means your property touches a government-maintained road. If your property has no direct access to a public road there can be complications. In order to access a “landlocked” property, a road or trail which crosses a neighboring property will have to be used. A written agreement will allow deeded access to a property like this, but if there is no such agreement your access will be termed undeeded.
So what does all this mean? It really depends on how you intend to use the land. Undeeded road use is often uncontested with some states maintaining laws to prevent neighbors from denying you physical access to your property. However, if you need utilities or water, deeded access will be more crucial. Undeeded access is common for hunting, timber or recreational land and typically faces minimal issues as long as a well-established road is in place. The more landowners who use an undeeded access road, the fewer problems you are likely to have. Negotiating a written agreement with the seller of a landlocked property can resolve access issues well before they happen while allowing you to get the most out of your land.
To learn more about land ownership visit UnitedCountry.com today. Our team of land experts serves buyers and sellers of land from coast to coast and beyond.
Source: https://www.landthink.com/understanding-road-access/
