Landlocked Parcel
A landlocked parcel has no legal, recorded access to a public road — even if a dirt path physically reaches it — making it difficult to finance, insure, or develop until an access easement is established.
It's worth distinguishing physical access (a driveway exists) from legal access (a recorded easement or right-of-way exists) — lenders and title insurers generally require the latter before they'll touch a transaction.
Landlocked parcels are common across rural Sierra foothill and mountain areas of Nevada, El Dorado, and Placer counties, where older land divisions never recorded formal access rights. California law allows an owner to petition for an easement by necessity, but that's a court process, not a guarantee.
A landlocked parcel is nearly impossible to sell through a conventional listing because most buyers can't get financing without insurable access. A direct buyer who can absorb and work through the access question is often the more realistic path than pursuing a lawsuit first.
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