Selling landlocked land in Pennsylvania

How Pennsylvania law handles land with no road access

A landlocked owner can petition the county court for a private road under the Private Road Act, but since 2010 the taking must mainly benefit the public. An easement by necessity over a former common owner's land remains available.

Statutory route: Private road petition to the court of common pleas, which appoints a board of view (Private Road Act).

Common-law route: Easement by necessity over a common grantor's remaining land is recognized and held constitutional.

Law: 36 P.S. 2731 et seq. (Act of June 13, 1836). 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 Pennsylvania legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

Pennsylvania land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $8,700 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $41.94 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: State realty transfer tax of 1% of value, plus a local tax, usually 1%, but 3.578% in Philadelphia and 4% in most of Pittsburgh. Local rates differ in some other places too, so ask the county recorder of deeds for the total.
• Seller disclosure: Pennsylvania's Residential Real Estate Transfers Law applies only to transfers of one to four residential dwelling units and expressly exempts transfers of unimproved real property. A contract to sell a building lot without community sewage must say so and say a sewage permit is needed (Sewage Facilities Act 7.1).

These are statewide averages, not an appraisal. See selling land in Pennsylvania 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