Unwanted Property

[RunningBum]

This is literally a tiny lot (0.2 acre) straight up the side of a mountain with no road access (dirt roads were cut in in the 70s and have long since grown over).

Doesn't sound like something you could grow anything on, or at least not enough to bother.

 

[pb4uski]

I would disclaim it and encourage your sisters and all other family members down the bloodline to disclaim it as well.... IOW, if all the heirs and all their children disclaim then I think it effectively comes the county's problem. You all may want to consult with a lawyer about how to properly disclaim it.

And I definitely would not make any more tax payments. Around here if the tax payments are not made after a period of time the land is auctioned off and that is the end of it.

But before that happens, I would contact any adjacent property owners and see if they would like it for "$1 and other consideration".

 

[RetireeRobert]

Just to put things in perspective, a .20 acre lot is a city sized house lot, perhaps dimensions about 100 x 100 feet, or some similar combination amounting to the same area.

There has got to be some relatively easy way to determine ownership of adjacent (or nearby) parcels. County assessor must have plat maps so you can determine plat numbers of adjacent parcels, then look up deeds for those to determine ownership--or ask the county "who owns x, y, and z parcels?". Then see if adjacent owner interested in a very cheap lot ($1 and other consideration) to consolidate with their own lot. By doubling the size of their own lot, they make their own lot that much more marketable for something other than token consideration.

As others have already suggested, offer it on Craigslist, reddit, etc., as a novelty "own a piece of Georgia land" type thing for some dirt cheap price. Someone out there will go for it just for the novelty, if the price is dirt cheap.

 

[OldShooter]

.. There has got to be some relatively easy way to determine ownership of adjacent (or nearby) parcels. County assessor must have plat maps so you can determine plat numbers of adjacent parcels, then look up deeds for those to determine ownership--or ask the county "who owns x, y, and z parcels?". Then see if adjacent owner interested in a very cheap lot ($1 and other consideration) to consolidate with their own lot. By doubling the size of their own lot, they make their own lot that much more marketable for something other than token consideration. ...

The counties I am familiar with have on-line GIS systems that include all this information including the address of the taxpayer. It is a matter of minutes to look it up.

 

[RetireeRobert]

The counties I am familiar with have on-line GIS systems that include all this information including the address of the taxpayer. It is a matter of minutes to look it up.

Yes, exactly, it is the same way in my county here in Oregon, and at least a few nearby counties in Oregon.

 

[W2R]

Why can't you get a realtor to sell it for you? If you were honest about your situation, maybe they would know somebody who would want it. Once you are the legal owner, give the realtor a time limit and let him do his thing.

 

[RetireeRobert]

Why can't you get a realtor to sell it for you? If you were honest about your situation, maybe they would know somebody who would want it. Once you are the legal owner, give the realtor a time limit and let him do his thing.

If there was a realtor "friend" of OP who might do it as a favor, maybe. But a working realtor, the commission on a $10 or $100 or $500 piece of land which OP stated likely has no real access (overgrown roads)---probably not. Realtor would not want the legal liabilities associated would be my thought if I were a realtor.

 

[W2R]

If there was a realtor "friend" of OP who might do it as a favor, maybe. But a working realtor, the commission on a $10 or $100 or $500 piece of land which OP stated likely has no real access (overgrown roads)---probably not. Realtor would not want the legal liabilities associated would be my thought if I were a realtor.

Would it hurt to ask? I mean, that's what they do for a living, and we really don't know how much it's worth or not worth.

 

[RetireeRobert]

....and we really don't know how much it's worth or not worth.

OP said: "This is literally a tiny lot (0.2 acre) straight up the side of a mountain with no road access (dirt roads were cut in in the 70s and have long since grown over)."

What do you think something like that would be worth?

 

[JoeWras]

You can also search for "vacant land buyers". You might get a few bucks, literally, or maybe only $1.

After trying to sell a vacant lot gifted to me, I finally resorted to this.

The "normal" sales were rare and in the $2k range. I got no bites. Meanwhile, I got what I thought was a low ball offer of about $1.1k which I shredded.

Then people started a war with the HOA which got ugly. I wanted out. Looked up land brokers and got a $600 offer.

I took it and got the hell out.

The nice thing is that he did all the courthouse legwork.

BTW I'm surprised OP's county land records are not online. My land was in a remote Florida county and they have it online, which was nice to assure the transaction went through cleanly.

 

[pb4uski]

This is literally a tiny lot (0.2 acre) straight up the side of a mountain with no road access (dirt roads were cut in in the 70s and have long since grown over).

The value was sold as access to a community lake/clubhouse/recreational facilities, maybe even a golf course. The developer ran off with all the money. There were a lot of land scams in north Georgia in the 60s and 70s.

What you describe makes me wonder if that lot might be "land-locked" unless the dirt road that has grown over is a low-class public road or an easement.

IOW, if there is no public road or legal easement that allows the owner to acess the lot then it is really worthless... and a sale to an adjacent landowner for $1 may be the best option.

 

[RetireeRobert]

Simple Google search led to this from Georgia Department of Revenue about property records online, a list of links to Georgia counties for that counties property records:

https://dor.georgia.gov/property-records-online

You must know the address or legal description of the lot your dad owns, plug it in the search function. Then you can find adjacent parcels' info.

 

[marko]

For $25 a year in taxes, what's the downside of holding onto it? Sort of a "living memorial " ( I'm assuming there's trees there) to your dad.

"Yup, somewhere up that mountain is Dad's old property, taking in CO2 and spitting out oxygen"

 

[harley]

I'm in a similar situation, with a couple of trailer lots in Chesapeake VA that I inherited from my Mom. $24/year taxes, and valued at $1500 each. I haven't spent much time on it, as the $48 is spillage. I haven't even made a trip down to get the ownership changed to my name, although it is being billed to me. We tried to drive d over to look at them once years ago, but weren't able to access them without a 4WD.

It's completely unsellable or undonateable as far as I've been able to determine. Maybe it will be worth something to my DGD or one of her eventual kids.

 

[RetireeRobert]

What you describe makes me wonder if that lot might be "land-locked" unless the dirt road that has grown over is a low-class public road or an easement.

IOW, if there is no public road or legal easement that allows the owner to access the lot then it is really worthless... and a sale to an adjacent landowner for $1 may be the best option.

Good question. Assuming OP is correct there were "roads cut in years ago" (but since overgrown), my thought is there must be roads recorded on the county property subdivision plats--in other words, "legal access easements" duly recorded in the county records.

Which is nice for having a legal lot that one wants to try to resell! Of course, having a legal access to the lot is something different than having practical physical access to actually get a car to the front of that lot. But one could always "legally" hike in through the trees along the "legal", but no more existent, physical road and have a picnic on the side of the mountain.

I think the prize winner is whoever first suggested putting the lot on Craigslist at a price of $100. Sell it as a novelty, "Own your own piece of Georgia land"! I have seen recurring ads on Facebook lately where one can buy a square foot of land in Scotland and get the title "Duke" as part of the deal.

 

[RunningBum]

For $25 a year in taxes, what's the downside of holding onto it? Sort of a "living memorial " ( I'm assuming there's trees there) to your dad.

"Yup, somewhere up that mountain is Dad's old property, taking in CO2 and spitting out oxygen"

What if someone gets hurt on it?

 

[RetireeRobert]

What if someone gets hurt on it?

OP could hike in and post a few "No Trespassing" sign on it. Then trespassers do that at their own risk.

 

[RunningBum]

OP could hike in and post a few "No Trespassing" sign on it. Then trespassers do that at their own risk.

OK, a quick google shows that this is a very good defense. But just hiking in to a remote worthless property with signs seems like a downside to me. And I wonder if you have an umbrella policy if they would require you to insure that property.

 

[RetireeRobert]

OK, a quick google shows that this is a very good defense. But just hiking in to a remote worthless property with signs seems like a downside to me. And I wonder if you have an umbrella policy if they would require you to insure that property.

Umbrella insurer would probably raise the umbrella rates by $50 a year for owning this land! Thereby making owner pay each year perhaps total market value of the parcel.

 

[RetireeRobert]

You can also search for "vacant land buyers". You might get a few bucks, literally, or maybe only $1.

After trying to sell a vacant lot gifted to me, I finally resorted to this.

Such as this organization. I googled and found this one and about six other similar (just on page 1 of search results)": https://sellunwantedland.com/

 

[JoeWras]

Umbrella insurer would probably raise the umbrella rates by $50 a year for owning this land! Thereby making owner pay each year perhaps total market value of the parcel.

When I changed insurers 6 years ago, I disclosed this. Given the circumstances of where the land was, it had no effect. But YMMV.

Such as this organization. I googled and found this one and about six other similar (just on page 1 of search results)": https://sellunwantedland.com/

Yes, I sold to someone like that. It was fairly painless. The cash I got was low ball, But I Don't Care. I just wanted out. I had the original sale papers on the property and followed the IRS rules on gifted property to figure the loss -- so there's that.

 

[euro]

Would it hurt to ask? I mean, that's what they do for a living, and we really don't know how much it's worth or not worth.

Wont hurt to ask, but highly unlikely any realtor will be interested. Given the $25 a year tax bill, even the county seems to think the property is basically worthless ($25 may well be the default minimum that county has).
I helped my DMIL get rid of a couple of lots in rural Texas some time ago. Those lots had SOME value as they were zoned for residential construction with available utilities access. Still, the value was low enough that realtor did not work on a standard 5-10% commission. Instead, they asked for a minimum dollar amount, which ended up at maybe 35% of sale price. Was worth it nevertheless in that case because my in-laws had already paid many multiples of the value in property taxes over the 50 or so years they owned the land. Just kept draining them.
Raw land is a strange beast - depending on specifics, it can appreciate at amazing clips over the years, or go straight from “cheap” to “near worthless”. That said, there is a romantic component to owning “real dirt” for a lot of people, so that is why there will almost always be a buyer at the right price (even if the right price is $1). Just have to find them.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

The counties I am familiar with have on-line GIS systems that include all this information including the address of the taxpayer. It is a matter of minutes to look it up.

Many north Georgia counties are still in the 1980s when it comes to land records. You often have to go to the clerk's office to look up/file deeds and if you aren't familiar with how the filing system is done, it could take HOURS to pin down who owns the adjacent lots. They simply don't have the money or manpower to use GIS.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

What if someone gets hurt on it?

Not an issue on vacant land in Georgia, unless the owner has an attractive nuisance on it but even then...if the owner doesn't know about it, then no issue.

We have some vacant land here and there and has had no effect on our umbrella coverage since it's vacant. Now as soon as you put ANY structure on it...then there would be a change in policy. Of course, this is dependent on your state and insurance laws so YMMV.

 

[street]

Not an issue on vacant land in Georgia, unless the owner has an attractive nuisance on it but even then...if the owner doesn't know about it, then no issue.

We have some vacant land here and there and has had no effect on our umbrella coverage since it's vacant. Now as soon as you put ANY structure on it...then there would be a change in policy. Of course, this is dependent on your state and insurance laws so YMMV.

Applies to my State and Umbrella policy also.

Not sure in Ga if you can land lock but it is a rare law if you can. Montana is one of very few states that can land lock. It isn't a good law to have from any aspect of life.

Georgia provides a statutory process for obtaining access to a land locked piece of property. O.C.G.A. § 44-9-40 et seq. The process can be described as a private condemnation.