Public Right-of-approach Issue

[walton42]

Hello,I reside in Washington state and purchased a recently constructed home significantly less than this past year. There's a pleasant, little woodsy location saturated in high bushes that acts as a barrier between my home and the nearby homes. Sadly, I simply discovered that this barrier is really a "public right-of-way," and the property operator behind me expects to clear it out to create a long entrance to his brand-new building project.My issue is this: What is a "public right-of-way" and does this creator have the right to complete this? I've talked to surrounding neighbors and most people are terrified; no body helps this. Will there be something I will do to avoid this property from getting used?Any info could be significantly apprectiated.Thank you,Sally

[Zared]

"I tried contacting the community develpment office, but have not heard back from them yet."Good luck trying to get bureaucratic clerks to return phone calls.GO THERE and look up the plat records. Get copies of the plat maps, ownership, and any other record they may have.

[Porfirio]

No, the territory operator behind me doesn't possess this bit of home. I do not know who possesses it. I was informed from the surveyor he employed (he was running around my lawn so I went out to inquire what he was undertaking) that the property is just a "public STRIP," he was declaring that that apparently indicates that anybody has got the to clear it out to be used. I clearly know-nothing about this type of issue, but I looked over home guide on my regionis neighborhood development site, and it does display a strip of land alongside my home, but there's no information about it. I tried calling the city develpment workplace, but haven't heard back from their store yet.If it's a public right-of-way, what does which means that? What's a public right-of-way?

[Nickolaus]

Issues...Does the landowner behind you possess this bit of home? Or even, who possesses it? Could it be possessed from the town, region, state, college section, etc? Until it's possessed with a government organization of some kind I've difficulty thinking that it'd be described as a "public STRIP". Who informed you or why do you think this property is STRIP?

[Ning]

Jack is correct.
Go to Planning, the Assessors and the Recorder and start looking up information.

[Schyler]

Because of everybody for the solutions! I've today observed documents and property routes and have established this is surely a public right-of-way. Evidently the territory operator behind me initially desired to access his home by another path, but was not able to due to some problem regarding wetlands. I don't know whether or not there are every other feasible paths, however now that I know that this really is, actually, a public right-of-way, is there something that my neighbors and I may do to avoid it from getting used?Thanks,Sally

[Paolo]

I acknowledge, don't believe anything. I possibly could type forever on various situations, based on the small information supplied, simply desired to provide an other view than others above.Surveyors usually do their documents research ahead of field work, and some do better research than others.Some information you will want to discover:Who really owns the home? Or even a government organization, who's spending the home taxes?When was your neighborhood produced? Could it be another lot or parcel in your neighborhood?Does the big parcel of property behind you've every other method of use of an already-existing, committed and approved, public right-of-way? Quite simply, might the big area of land be land-locked with no home alongside you?

[circehyll]

I'd NOT believe anything till I'd an opportunity to evaluate the particular documents back several decades. And I simply got thru looking at regional tax maps and so on which show a specific strech of road being a public road and some actions that obviously show it as privately-owned by my friend and that action string operates back once again to at least 1870! And it's unlikley a fundamental study might discover all of the issues You may have to put out the deeds written down to determine if there's space for AROW etc.And I believe I'd keep my views and remarks near to the torso till I got a good understanding of the issues.You may need certainly to invest some time in both tax assessment office and the recorder of deeds office for som ehomework--do not expect them to complete the digging for you--but if its a slow time and you're good about it I discover that local staff could be Really helpful.

[Jasmin]

There's no basis to suppose this is just a public roght of method--and its somewhat improbable it's. Until it's obviously being used as somesort of lobby its instead unlikley. It's probable the friend is trying to somehow declare the property as his own.Do some tough digging rapidly!

[Adejola]

I differ with all of the reactions above. If Your surveyor told you it's a public right-of-way, it likely is. It most definitely could be a public right-of-way on paper, and simply never increased, or perhaps a lot of property held by the town/township/district and put aside for another public r-o-w.The great majority of roads you drive on are public rights-of-way. They're held either from the town, township, district or state. Basically, the "community," meaning you, me, Joe Smith in the future, and every otherwise, includes a to travel over the property. The upkeep and maintenance of the public right-of-way is taken care of with public dollars, your tax dollars. In cases like this, the creator will likely shell out of his wallet to enhance and produce upon the r-o-w, or construct the street, sewers, water lines, etc, based on legislation, and devote it for the town/township/county, that position, after taking the commitment, the "community" will dominate maintenance.Contact your county tax assessor's office, or auditor's office and question them. If they're active, it could have a while, if they're not, they're usually fairly helpful.