Road Maintenance Association: excessive cost (appraisal, agent, properties, historical)

[nullity]

We're considering a parcel (raw land) located a few miles off the county road, but the listing agent hasn't been able to give us details about road maintenance., so it falls unto me to research this.

Where do you find information about RMAs that apply to a parcel? Is this something that has to be recorded against the deed (i.e. I could find it in the county recorder's office)?

Random details I've been able to gather:
- The road is excessively well maintained. Additionally, the appraisal for a neighboring property mentions $2500/yr for road maintenance.
- There's fewer than a half-dozen properties on the road (hard to tell exactly how many).
- The parcel I'm considering has a stream crossing in the last 100 ft, so I'd need a 4x4 to access anyway.... rendering the costly "sedan level" maintenance useless to the parcel in question.

Thanks!

[DMenscha]

RMA's weren't always required to be a matter of public record. They are now in my county, but I think it varies from county to county. You could either check with the county public works dept or ask a title company if there is a recorded RMA on it. Even if there is, the assessment amount probably isn't.

It was also common to use an old railroad flat car as a bridge in places. Perhaps cheaper than buying a 4X4.

[middle-aged mom]

Would not the seller of this raw land and the owners of neighboring properties know something?

[nullity]

Thanks for your suggestions! I've been looking into using flat cars as bridges, a pretty great idea!

I was able to locate the RMA from the county recorder. There are 4 parties to the road, and maintenance is split equally for most of its length. A 75% vote is required to authorize maintenance. Yada yada. This doesn't tell me how much maintenance has been historically authorized, but I'll keep digging.

Unfortunately, the sellers are absentee, the listing agent doesn't know any more, and the neighboring parcel owners are seasonal/recreational users and haven't (yet) responded to a letter I sent. I found a more distant neighbor who lives year-round, and he has offered to talk to me, so perhaps he'll know a little about who to contact (he isn't a party to the road, however).