Selling landlocked land in Vermont

How Vermont law handles land with no road access

Vermont has no statute that lets a landlocked owner force a private road across a neighbor. An easement by necessity can arise when a common owner divided the land and left a parcel with no reasonable access.

Common-law route: Easement by necessity recognized when commonly owned land was divided and left a parcel without practical access.

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 Vermont legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

Vermont land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $4,490 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $36.29 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: Property transfer tax of 1.25% of value (minimum $1), plus a 0.22% clean water surcharge, so about 1.47% on vacant land. Lower rates apply to a buyer's principal residence (0.5% on first $200,000).
• Seller disclosure: Every seller of real property must give flood information (FEMA map, flood history, flood insurance) before or in the contract. An Act 250 disclosure applies when land is divided.

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