Selling landlocked land in Tennessee

How Tennessee law handles land with no road access

A landowner cut off from a public road by neighboring land can petition a court to condemn a private easement up to 25 feet wide (15 in metro counties). It is not available if adequate access already exists.

Statutory route: Tennessee private easement or right-of-way condemnation for ingress and egress (jury of view).

Common-law route: Easement by necessity recognized at common law; 2020 amendments did not change it (Smith v. White, Tenn. Ct. App. 2024, per search summary).

Law: Tenn. Code Ann. 54-14-102 (54-14-101 repealed 2020); jury of view procedure at 54-14-104 et seq. 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 Tennessee legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

Tennessee land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $6,500 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $13.52 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: Realty transfer (recordation) tax of $0.37 per $100 of purchase price, generally on the greater of consideration paid or property value. A separate indebtedness (mortgage) tax applies to recorded debt instruments.
• Seller disclosure: Tennessee's residential disclosure form is not required for vacant land, because the disclosure act covers only one to four dwelling units (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-5-201). The same law requires a seller to disclose a known sinkhole, exterior injection well or percolation test result (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-5-212). The statute text does not settle whether those items reach land with no dwelling.

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