Losing a loved one is a difficult event, and what makes it even more stressful is dealing with inheritance and distributing property among the family. Most of the time, land is one of the assets being distributed. Land is not as useful as a house, since you can sell, rent, or move into a house. Land can be significantly harder to sell, especially depending on the location, size, and value of the property. Most people have no use for inherited land and end up selling it.

Selling Your Inherited Land

Most people that inherit land have no use for it and it ends up being a burden due to property taxes. This can often cause tension among family members because of disagreements over whether they should sell it or not. Have a discussion with any family members involved to make sure everybody is well informed and in agreement. This is important because you may need other family members to sign off on paperwork to sell your land.

Completing Probate on the Land

To acquire a clear title, you may need to file probate with the court which can take several months. While going through probate, the executor of the will is given authority to distribute assets by the court. After the property has completed probate, it can be transferred by the executor, making it possible to sell it with clear and marketable title. Depending on the state you’re in, you may be eligible to file a summary probate on a property of little value, which takes much less time and doesn’t require an attorney.

Getting Ready to Sell your Land

At this point, the parcel of land will be in your name and it is time to decide if and how you should sell your land. After completing probate, you may decide that you want to keep the land as an investment. Some land may not be worth selling due to its location, or it could be a good place to build a house. If you decide to keep the land, it may seem unnecessary to go through probate. In reality, it is important to go through probate anyways, because whether you want to get building permits, sell the land in the future for more money, or transfer the land to your estate, you will need to have the land filed under your name, otherwise, you legally will not be able to do anything with it. If you want to sell your land after it has been probated, we can help you with that here. If you have any questions, you can contact us here and we will do our best to guide you.