Can I Buy State Land?

[NorthernWoods]

I came across this program for our county that is really neat. You can see all the properties in the county then you can click on each property and see how much was paid for it, when it was bought, who owns it, and what various aspects of it are being assessed at. Kind of an eye opener when larger homes/land are being taxed assessed at less than smaller ones (both brick also). Neighbor has larger home and double the land but is being tax priced at $20,000 less! Everything is the same besides what I said!

I don't know if other counties have the program.

ANYWAYS...I've noticed people "owned" property in the middle of state forest. I'm not talking hunting camp and leased land here; they own it. It might only be 5-30ac. but there is their little square of property in the middle of state land. How'd they do that?!!! I've been looking for land around here for quite some time, particularly in one holler here. Maybe I should go into the court house and make an offer.

[gone-a-milkin]

I think each case/place is different.

I know a family that bought some land (from the people whose land adjoined it) and it turns out that it was state owned though noone really seemed to know for sure or notice their home for 25 years.

State finally got around to seeing it and tried to make them move. Long story short, the family won their lawsuit and lives there to this day.

[diamondtim]

The current owner usually didn't buy it from the state, but from another private owner. The state bought all of the surrounding land and made it a state forest. If there was any political influence, it occurred long ago. There are a lot of vacation properties like that in Wisconsin.

[NorthernWoods]

That makes sense. I know where all this land is. All it is, is bare land. And we're talking recent sales here. I would think the state would have tried to buy it up. Maybe not.

[Common Tator]

My ranch is completely surrounded by National Forest. I researched the history. My place has been in private ownership since at least 1865, long before the existence of the National Forest.

[palani]

Very little land actually belongs to the state. In states west of the Mississippi usually section 16 of each township was given to the state to be sold to support education. In some states (Missouri, Iowa) certain salt springs were allocated to the state because of the value of salt to western settlement. The state capital might have been allocated several sections to fund the buildings. Otherwise all lands were given to the federal government to be patented to the one who desired to purchase the land. Still other lands were patented to railroads in exchange for running the rails west.

The political society that is the state saw fit to tax private property and, if taxes were not paid, would seize the property and resell it under color of title. It is not actually the land they are selling but the debt they have plastered on the land. Or they might just attempt to keep the land to set up parks and forests.

The sheriff is said to be the owner of land upon which taxes are not paid in any county. You approach him and offer to pay the taxes in exchange for a deed. Or you simply set your foot on the property and by long and continuous possession (adverse or not) it becomes yours. If the latter method is chosen I don't believe I would offer to pay the property taxes or record anything except a public notice and an affidavit.

[ErinP]

n states west of the Mississippi usually section 16 of each township was given to the state to be sold to support education. .

Actually, what are known as "school sections" were often leased out, rather than sold, to support education. In Nebraska, for example, school sections are still quite common. The ranch we're on has three leased...
Now and again, the state will sell a school section, but that seems to usually be in more populated parts of the state.

[uncle Will in In.]

In Indiana the state even sold the east - west toll road to a couple forgien countries a couple years ago. Our Govenor is so proud of himself. He got the state out of debt. <>UNK

[Azrael]

Actually he LEASED the toll road, albeit for 75 years, but it is STILL a lease and the state still owns it. Also in this climate I am quite glad to be out of debt, look at the festering cesspool that is Califronia and the state they are in. A lot of people may not like Mitch's policies but he has definitely run the state like a business, and a successful one at that, he also managed to quite easily win a second term, not bad for as many people seem tolike to lambast him.

[Starsmom]

Here the state leases land for 10 year periods. They rarely sell it, if they do, usually the person purchasing has to replace the bought land with similar land. Its complicated and not done very often.

The leased land is suppose to support the schools here. Right now, I am contemplating attempting to lease some state land that borders my property. The problem is it is currently leased and that lease expires soon. I have to place a bid and then the current lease holder gets the option to meet my bid. If they do, they get the land. The problem with this is, next year they will reduce the lease price back to the normal standards. Very unfair in my opinion. I think they should lease to the highest bidder and that bid stay in that amount. That way, it can change hands and go to someone who needs it. Besides, there are only a few ways you can bid, you have to have legal access to the property. At this point, there are only 3 people and the currently lease holder that can bid. The current lease holder has 1000's of acres and doesn't really need it, but I do and I'm sure he will accept the higher bid amount just to keep me from getting it. Even though, I will do much more with the land such as proper fencing and such...already have. The current lease holder won't repair or replace worn fencing, so I have had to do so. These state leases are all different from state to state, so check with your state and see what the guidelines are.

[Wolf mom]

Thanks for jogging my mind.

Think I'll write to the Governor who just cut back on school funding. Maybe selling some state land is an alternative for our universities & schools. The monies gained from the sale of AZ state land is suppose to be used for schools.

[Timberline]

In the western states, patented mining claims are private property. Ours is surrounded on all sides by National Forest, but our claim was patented before the forest service was established. It's been privately owned and sold many times since 1883.

[thehoffs]

What site were you looking on? ..if I may.

[edcopp]

Originally Posted by NorthernWoods

I came across this program for our county that is really neat. You can see all the properties in the county then you can click on each property and see how much was paid for it, when it was bought, who owns it, and what various aspects of it are being assessed at. Kind of an eye opener when larger homes/land are being taxed assessed at less than smaller ones (both brick also). Neighbor has larger home and double the land but is being tax priced at $20,000 less! Everything is the same besides what I said!

I don't know if other counties have the program.

ANYWAYS...I've noticed people "owned" property in the middle of state forest. I'm not talking hunting camp and leased land here; they own it. It might only be 5-30ac. but there is their little square of property in the middle of state land. How'd they do that?!!! I've been looking for land around here for quite some time, particularly in one holler here. Maybe I should go into the court house and make an offer.

Nobody knows where you are except you, and it is possible that you do not know either.

It would help a lot to know where you are if any of us were going to try to answer your questions.

[ronbre]

maybe the property was owned privately before the state aquired the state land?