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Selling Land With an Encroachment
Yes, you can sell land with an encroachment, but you need to know about it and deal with it openly. An encroachment is something that crosses a property line: a neighbor’s fence, shed, driveway or building on your land, or yours on theirs. Buyers and title companies will find it if a survey is done, so the best time to understand it is before you sell. Here are your options, from a handshake fix to selling as-is.
- What counts as an encroachment
- Fixes from simple to formal
- No commission, no closing costs
- Written offer within 24 hours
- Close in as little as 14 to 30 days
- As-is sales considered
★★★★★ 4.9 from 14 verified Google reviews — read them · we buy with our own capital and pay all closing costs
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Owners with a boundary problem
What an encroachment is, and how it shows up
On rural land, the most common encroachments are fences built on a convenient line instead of the true one, a neighbor’s driveway or farm road that clips a corner, outbuildings or deer stands placed over the line, and timber cut past the boundary. Sometimes it runs the other way and your own barn or drive sits partly on the neighbor’s land. Many go unnoticed for decades.
They usually surface when someone orders a boundary survey, when a buyer’s lender or title insurer asks for one, or when a neighbor sells and their survey stakes appear in the wrong place. A title insurer will typically list survey matters as an exception unless a current survey is provided, which is why encroachments tend to come up at closing.
Why it matters when you sell
An encroachment can reduce the usable land, create doubt about where the lines are, and make some buyers and lenders hesitate. Left alone for a long time, an encroachment can also lead to a claim of adverse possession or a prescriptive easement, where the neighbor argues they have gained rights through long, open use. Whether that applies, and after how many years, depends on state law and the facts, so ask a local real-estate attorney if the use has gone on for a long time.
In most states sellers also have disclosure obligations. The rules differ by state and by type of property, but hiding a boundary problem you know about is a reliable way to turn a sale into a dispute. Tell buyers what you know.
How to confirm it: the survey
If you only suspect a problem, a licensed surveyor can locate the lines, set or find corner markers and show any improvements that cross them. A survey costs money and time, so ask your likely buyer first whether one is needed; some cash buyers buy on the existing legal description. Our page on selling land without a survey explains when one is worth ordering.
If a survey already exists and shows the encroachment, keep it. It is the document every option below starts from.
Ways to resolve an encroachment
The simplest fix is a conversation. A neighbor may move a fence or a shed once they see the survey, and a written note of what was agreed keeps it from coming back. If moving it is impractical, a boundary-line agreement signed by both owners and recorded with the county can fix the line where everyone has been treating it. You can also grant the neighbor a written easement or license to keep using a driveway, or sell them the strip of land in question; a lot-line change may need approval from the county or town.
When neighbors cannot agree, or an owner cannot be found, the formal route is a court action, often to quiet title or to settle the boundary. That takes time and legal fees, so it is usually a last resort. If the encroachment is one of several title issues, see our guide to selling land with title problems.
Selling as-is with an encroachment
Not every owner wants to negotiate with a neighbor or pay for a lawsuit, especially on inherited land in another state. Selling as-is to a buyer who understands boundary issues is a legitimate option: you disclose what you know, the buyer prices it in, and the buyer deals with the fix after closing.
We buy land with boundary problems. Tell us what you know about the encroachment, send a survey if you have one, and we will send a written cash offer within 24 hours. A title company or closing attorney handles closing, we pay the closing costs, and we can close in as little as 14 to 30 days.
Why owners with boundary issues call us
As-is
No need to settle the dispute before selling.
Survey optional
We can often buy on the existing description.
Title company closing
Professional closing, paid by us.
No commission
You keep the agreed price.
Fast offer
Written offer within 24 hours.
Honest pricing
We explain how the issue affects our number.
Selling to us, step by step
Three steps, no obligation at any point, and no cost to you at any stage.
One call or one form
Tell us the address or APN and the rough size. You do not need a survey, a plat or the tax bill in front of you — we look all of that up.
We value it properly
We research the parcel ourselves, at our cost, before we quote. We price it off recent sales of similar acreage and adjust for access, soil, flood mapping, timber and shape. No cost to you, no commitment.
Written offer, your decision
You have our number in writing within 24 hours. If you take it, a licensed title company closes it and we cover the standard closing costs — typically 14 to 30 days.
Selling to us vs. listing it
Both are legitimate. Listing can bring a higher gross price if you have time, the tract is easy to finance and you can carry the taxes while it sits. Here is the honest comparison.
| Selling to Dreamify | Listing with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you are dealing with | A direct cash buyer — we are the ones purchasing | An agent marketing it to someone else |
| Commission | None | Typically 6–10% on land |
| Closing costs | We cover them | Usually split or seller-paid |
| Repairs, survey, clean-up | Not your problem | Often requested by retail buyers |
| Financing risk | None — cash | Land loans fall through often |
| Timeline | As little as 14 to 30 days once title work is back | Land can sit on the market for months |
Land we buy
Land we buy
- Vacant, raw and bare land
- Inherited and heir property, including multiple owners
- Land with back taxes or a delinquent tax bill
- Out-of-state and absentee-owned parcels
- Farm, timber and hunting acreage
- Small residential lots and infill parcels
- Landlocked tracts and parcels with access questions
- Land that failed a perc test
- Tracts tied up in an estate or probate
- Property you inherited and have never seen
- Mobile home parks and RV parks
- Self-storage facilities — considered case by case
What we don’t buy
- Houses and other residential buildings
- Land you do not have the authority to sell
- Parcels where a co-owner has not agreed to sell
- Property already under contract with someone else
If we are not the right buyer for your parcel we will say so on the first call rather than waste your time.
We buy with our own money — here is what we have closed
We are a principal buyer using our own capital, not a lead broker collecting details to sell on. A sample of tracts we have bought and closed:
| Tract | Where we closed it |
|---|---|
| 32.3 acres | Perquimans County, North Carolina |
| 72 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
| 10.7 acres | Morgan County, Georgia |
| 6.24 acres | Jasper County, Georgia |
| 8.5 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
| 5.05 acres | Dawson County, Georgia |
A sample of tracts we have bought and closed ourselves. We are a principal buyer, not a broker — every one of these was purchased with our own funds through a licensed closing agent.
What sellers say
Every quote below is a real, verified Google review of Dreamify Properties — 4.9 stars across 14 reviews.
“Great experience working with John. He made the selling process super easy. I didn’t have to do much — he took care of all the heavy lifting. Communication was excellent; he kept me in the loop the whole time, which eased my mind.”
“I had a great experience working with John and Dreamify on the marketing and sale of land in Georgia. John was reasonable, fair, and thorough throughout the transaction, and was very pleasant to work with.”
Questions we get asked
Can I sell property with an encroachment?
Yes. Disclose it, and either resolve it first or sell as-is to a buyer who prices it in.
What should I do if my neighbor is encroaching on my land?
Get a survey, talk to the neighbor, and put any agreement in writing. Ask an attorney about long-standing use.
What is a boundary-line agreement?
A written agreement, signed by both owners and recorded, that fixes where the line is.
Does an encroachment show up in a title search?
Often not; it usually appears on a survey. Title policies typically except survey matters without one.
How fast can you close?
We give a written offer within 24 hours and can close in as little as 14 to 30 days. If your timeline is longer, we close on the date that suits you.
What does it cost me to sell to you?
Nothing. No commission, no closing costs, no document fees. We buy with our own capital and pay the closing costs ourselves.
Find out what your land is worth to a cash buyer
Send the parcel details and we’ll research the property, answer your questions, and put a clear no-obligation offer in writing within 24 hours.
Life changes — more guides for sellers
Divorce, a move, a loss in the family, care costs, retirement or a parcel that turned into a headache. Whatever is behind the decision to sell, here is how we handle it.
- Divorce
- Relocating
- Loss of a spouse
- Paying off debt
- Bankruptcy
- Bought sight unseen
- Squatters or dumping
- Code violations
- Land that won't sell
- Buyer backed out
- Co-owner
- Owned by an LLC
- Nursing home costs
- Medical bills
- Job loss
- Retirement
- Storm damage
- Never built on
- Old mobile home on it
- Down payment on a house
- Sell or leave to kids
- Power of attorney
- Paying for college
- Farm or hunting lease
- Selling to a data center
- Selling or leasing for solar
- Capital gains tax on a land sale
- Selling to a developer
- Selling part of your land
- Owner financing
- Documents needed to sell land
- Who pays closing costs
- How long it takes to sell land
- Sell or keep your land
- Selling to a family member
- Selling land on Zillow
- Selling on Facebook Marketplace
- Selling timber off your land
- Selling without mineral rights
- Pipeline easement on your land
- Property taxes on vacant land
- Selling land at auction
- Selling land for conservation
- Land prices per acre
- Can I sell land for any price?
- Selling land without a deed
- How much 100 acres is worth
- Do I need a lawyer to sell land?
- Selling land with a cemetery on it