Who owns the bridge?

[Rooty1]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho

County says no one owns the bridge but it is sitting on a county right-of-way. How could no one own it? Thanks.

 

[FlyingRon]

You're going to have to provide a bit more detail.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho

County says no one owns the bridge but it is sitting on a county right-of-way. How could no one own it? Thanks.

Where is this bridge located (type of area) and why is it of interest to you?

 

[xylene]

On top of the salient interest to you:

Let's address the 'says' too.

Like in a phone call? Someone told you? Who specifically?

Is this in a letter or an email? What exactly does it say?


Literally - "No one owns this"


or more like "We have no record of ownership of the bridge in question"

 

[Rooty1]

More detail?

You're going to have to provide a bit more detail.

What would you like to know.

 

[Rooty1]

On top of the salient interest to you:

Let's address the 'says' too.

Like in a phone call? Someone told you? Who specifically?

Is this in a letter or an email? What exactly does it say?


Literally - "No one owns this"


or more like "We have no record of ownership of the bridge in question"

County Assessor's Office literally said, "No one owns the bridge."

 

[Rooty1]

Location and interest

Where is this bridge located (type of area) and why is it of interest to you?

The bridge is located in rural Idaho and I have to use it for ingress and egress to my home.

 

[quincy]

The bridge is located in rural Idaho and I have to use it for ingress and egress to my home.

Is your interest one concerning maintenance?

Have you checked land titles and/or survey plats?

 

[Rooty1]

Is your interest one concerning maintenance?

Have you checked land titles and/or survey plats?

Part of concern is maintenance. The title company said they don't know who (if anyone) owns the bridge and the plat map shows about 90% of the bridge abutments are sitting on a county easement. The remaining 10% are sitting at or below the high water mark. The river bed to the high water mark is owned by a private individual. The road before and after the bridge is a non-maintained county public road.

Forgot to mention, the title company said that off the top of their head. I have a map from the State ca. 1920-30s that shows "County Bridge." If I paid for a full title search, could the records go back that far? And, if it was owned by the county 100 years ago, would that show up? Thanks.

 

[tranquility]

Forgot to mention, the title company said that off the top of their head. I have a map from the State ca. 1920-30s that shows "County Bridge." If I paid for a full title search, could the records go back that far? And, if it was owned by the county 100 years ago, would that show up? Thanks.

A true title search goes all the way back to the beginning. (Not the beginning of time, but the beginning of when the U.S. got dominion and control of the land.)

 

[Rooty1]

A true title search goes all the way back to the beginning. (Not the beginning of time, but the beginning of when the U.S. got dominion and control of the land.)

Thanks so much, I will phone the title company today.

 

[FarmerJ]

Im wondering if there are records at county/ city or township level that are abandonment related only , such as like how alleyways in some areas have been abandoned or say roads that they intended to create but never followed thru with so they formally abandoned them so the land was added to adjacent properties , I get it if you live on what is called a minimal maintenance road ( I know of people who live on minimal maintenance roads) if there is such a record of so called abandonments then this one should be there too.

 

[Rooty1]

Im wondering if there are records at county/ city or township level that are abandonment related only , such as like how alleyways in some areas have been abandoned or say roads that they intended to create but never followed thru with so they formally abandoned them so the land was added to adjacent properties , I get it if you live on what is called a minimal maintenance road ( I know of people who live on minimal maintenance roads) if there is such a record of so called abandonments then this one should be there too.

Idaho Code 40-203 speaks to abandonment but it looks like this law may not have been enacted until well after ca. 1930-40's. What sort of county records should I search?

 

[FarmerJ]

try your county public works offices and ask them where records are kept related to when things like roads, bridges or any other county owned infrastructure that was built and later abandoned would be kept , as odd as it sounds should your communities local historical society have newspapers saved that may have mentioned the county having built / opened a new bridge way back in ? ? ? ? I cant see where there is no possible owner at all since its on some ones land if the county really formally abandoned it then its ownership should fall on the current land owners whether they like it or not.

 

[Rooty1]

try your county public works offices and ask them where records are kept related to when things like roads, bridges or any other county owned infrastructure that was built and later abandoned would be kept , as odd as it sounds should your communities local historical society have newspapers saved that may have mentioned the county having built / opened a new bridge way back in ? ? ? ? I cant see where there is no possible owner at all since its on some ones land if the county really formally abandoned it then its ownership should fall on the current land owners whether they like it or not.

Great advice, thank you so much!!!