Sat 28 Feb, 2009
PART TWO – ‘Metes and Bounds’ Land Division in Michigan
Comments (0) Filed under: General, Law, Rural, The Zoning GuruTags: Land Division
A popular form of land division in Michigan.
Metes and bounds lot split applications have become much more common, especially since 1997 when significant amendments to the Land Division Act were enacted into law. Metes and bounds lot splits are an attractive option for some landowners, primarily because of the relatively low cost to divide the land (in comparison to subdivision plats or site condominium developments).
The Land Division Act indicates that…
…the Assessor is the local official responsible for receiving and approving or disapproving metes and bounds lot split applications, unless another official (such as a Township Supervisor, a Zoning Administrator, or Planning Consultant) is officially designated to do so as part of an adopted local Land Division Ordinance.
The Act also states that a proposed metes and bounds division must be approved or disapproved within 45 days after the filing of a complete application by the property owner.
Local land division ordinances.
The Land Division Act grants local authority to adopt a local Land Division Ordinance to regulate metes and bounds lot splits. The benefits of adopting a local ordinance include:
- Increased authority to set fees to cover the cost of reviewing land division applications;
- The ability to designate another local governmental body or official to be responsible for approving/disapproving metes and bounds lot split applications; and
- Increased local control.
For more information about this topic, or to learn more about how a local Land Division Ordinance may benefit your community, contact Building Place or click here to send an email directly to The Zoning Guru.
To read PART ONE of What am I? – ‘metes and bounds’ land division in Michigan, click here.