While buying and owning land is usually a wise investment, like everything else, it’s not without its limits. Your local town or city has likely divided up various parcels of land into “lots” of various sizes. Sometimes the lots are uniform and similar in size and shape, and sometimes they are wildly different.
But because these lot lines were drawn long ago, and they were codified by law, changing them is no simple process. If you’re a resident of Idaho and you’re wondering, “What is a lot line adjustment?” this article will look to answer that question.
What is a lot line adjustment?
A lot line adjustment is the altering of one or more boundary lines that separate legal parcels of land. This can be done for a number of reasons and must be agreed to by all the respective property owners.
What changes can be made?
Up to four parcels of land can be combined to form one parcel, and any lot line adjustments must result in the same number of parcels or fewer. So, for example, four parcels could be made into two, but four parcels couldn’t be made into five.
The boundary lines can be changed on up to four parcels of land, or the shapes of up to four parcels can be redrawn.
What is the purpose of lot line adjustments?
There are several reasons that property owners might want to readjust their lot lines. Since the lines were likely drawn long ago, the lines might not be straight, so two property owners might want to rectify that and straighten out their lot lines.
Two property owners might want to make a mutually beneficial exchange of land for utilitarian reasons—or because it would simply make sense for them both.
In rarer cases, it’s possible that someone could purchase two or more adjacent plots of land right next to each other, and they may wish to combine them into one large parcel.
What is required for a lot line adjustment?
You’ll want to check your state and county requirements, but typically there are some documents you’ll need to apply for a lot line adjustment, such as:
- An application form containing signatures of the owners of all properties involved and their respective agents or representatives
- A recent (less than 90 days old) photocopy of the preliminary title report
- Illustrations showing the present and future lot line configurations drawn up by a state-registered land surveyor or civil engineer
- A legal description of each new proposed parcel of land, also drafted by a certified land surveyor or civil engineer
- Hazardous waste site verification
- Any preliminary review charges
Depending on where you live, there may be additional documents that you need to present. You should consult your local zoning laws for further information.
Call to schedule your lot line adjustment today
Now you’ll no longer have to wonder, “What is a lot line adjustment?” in Idaho, because this article has laid out what a lot line adjustment is, the reasons for doing it and what’s required for an application.
And if you’ll notice, the final section above requires a civil engineer or land surveyor for two steps of the application process—that’s where we come in. At Mason & Associates, we’re the foremost authority when it comes to civil engineering, and we’re here to help you with all your civil engineering needs, from land surveying to lot line adjustments.