Vacant land is often purchased by individuals who hold onto it for decades. They likely had future plans that changed over time but they continued to hold the land as they perhaps were not clear how to sell it or the value was such that it simply wasn’t worth it to invest their time to figure out how to sell it.

This is especially true for out of state owners who have little or no contact with anyone in the area where the land sits.

When land owners pass on their vacant land through their estate, their heirs often face similar challenges and taking ownership of the land through a transfer of ownership on the deed can become very complex when the owner resided outside of the state where the land sits.

In these situations, a second probate may be required in the other state and require weeks and months to complete, can leave the primary probate open until it’s completed and add additional legal fees to the cost of processing the estate.