Selling landlocked land in Colorado

How Colorado law handles land with no road access

A landlocked owner who cannot agree with a neighbor can petition the district court to condemn a private way of necessity and pay just compensation. The owner must prove the access corridor is actually necessary, not just convenient.

Statutory route: Private way of necessity by condemnation petition in district court.

Common-law route: Implied easement by necessity recognized (unity of title, severance, necessity at severance) per secondary survey.

Law: Colo. Const. art. II, sec. 14; C.R.S. 38-1-102(3). Court routes take time and cost money. Ask a local attorney.

Your options as a landlocked owner

• Ask a neighbor to sell or grant an access easement, in writing and recorded.
• Offer the land to the neighbor who borders it. They are often the most natural buyer.
• Use the Colorado legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

Colorado land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $2,360 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $5.11 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: State documentary fee of one cent per $100 (or major fraction) of consideration, about 0.01%, paid to the county clerk and recorder at recording. No fee when consideration is $500 or less. Some towns also charge their own real estate transfer tax, such as Vail at 1% and Crested Butte at 3%.
• Seller disclosure: Colorado's statutory seller disclosures are written for residential real property, which the water source law limits to land with residential improvements on it. The special taxing district and common interest community (HOA) laws do not define the term, so a lot in a subdivision may still need them. Meth lab, oil and gas, and radon disclosures are also framed for residential real property (C.R.S. 38-35.7).

These are statewide averages, not an appraisal. See selling land in Colorado for county values, or try the land value estimator.

How a cash sale handles this

Liberty Acres is a family-owned cash land buyer. We buy land anywhere in the US, in any condition, including land with back taxes, inherited land and land with no road access. We pay back taxes and all closing costs, use no agents and charge no commissions, and close through a title company, escrow company or real estate attorney who pays you by wire or check.

Common questions