North Carolina woodland: timber clauses in land purchase agreements

Wooded parcels in North Carolina often come with more than peace and privacy — they come with timber value. But unless the purchase agreement spells out who owns the standing timber at closing, buyers may discover loggers showing up weeks after the deed is recorded. Sellers sometimes reserve timber rights for years, and standard forms don’t always make that clear.

Counties like Wake, Chatham, and Buncombe see deals where contracts need explicit language about cutting rights, replanting, and revenue sharing. For buyers planning cabins or conservation, missing timber clauses can erase the very trees that made them buy in the first place.

In North Carolina, the best land purchase agreements protect more than soil — they protect the forest standing on it.