Right of way? (Thornton: real estate, attorney, house)

[Im45us]

We will be retiring to New Hampshire in a year or so from Mass. We have been checking out properties to get a good idea what our money will buy. We also head North once a month and do some drive by's when there.

Found a property in Thornton that looks to have a right of way running through the middle of it. It is called Oak Ridge Way, Thornton. I checked Google maps from every angle and can't see an actual road so any idea what to expect in the future with something like this?

Thanks

[gailjnh]

If you have the street address, you should be able to look up the deed at the registry of deeds to see what it says about it. NHDeeds


It could be access to a second lot behind the house or possibly a utility company right of way.

[Levi.Dunn]

Have your agent tell you what the ROW is for.

[unit731]

Originally Posted by Im45us

so any idea what to expect in the future with something like this?

Thanks

Not enough information.

Do you have a real estate agent?

Do you have a copy of the deed?

Have you seen a plot plan of property?

Is the right of way for a person or for everyone?

Is it a walking right of way or a vehicle right of way?

Is this an easement or a right of way?

The questions and answers can go on and on.

[Nonesuch]

Thornton's "Road Agent" would be a good place to start asking, also pull up the deeds and the tax map, see if there is a landlocked lot with no other road access behind the one the house is on.

Originally Posted by gailjnh

If you have the street address, you should be able to look up the deed at the registry of deeds to see what it says about it. NHDeeds
It could be access to a second lot behind the house or possibly a utility company right of way.

Sometimes obsolete roads/easements/ROW are mentioned on the deed. For example, my official deed still has language from nearly a hundred years ago stating "Subject to the rights of others in woods road", but there's no evidence that this road existed.

[illtaketwoplease]

ROW's don't expire unless stated so best to plan on it being used or developed at some point in the future. I looked at some land that had a ROW through someone else's property and the landowner was livid that someone would actually use it and put in a driveway. The exact wording of the use and location of the ROW can make a big difference - i.e. "access over land to lot 2F " vs. "access over land by machinery or on foot to lot 2F". The first can be argued that it is only a walking ROW or easement...

[Levi.Dunn]

None of us can know anything without seeing the deed. Make your agent earn his $$$ by having him help figure these things out. Usually it's pretty straightforward; other times, it may require an attorney's opinion.

[Im45us]

Originally Posted by Levi.Dunn

None of us can know anything without seeing the deed. Make your agent earn his $$$ by having him help figure these things out. Usually it's pretty straightforward; other times, it may require an attorney's opinion.

We are looking at different properties. Thanks for the info.