If you want to sell part of your land, give a parcel to a family member, or create a separate buildable lot, you will need to go through the township's land division process. This is governed by Ordinance 27: Land Division and Ordinance 35: Lot Splitting, along with Michigan's Land Division Act.
Before You Start
Not every parcel can be split. To be eligible, the resulting lots typically must:
- Meet the minimum lot size for your zoning district
- Have adequate road frontage
- Be able to support a well and septic system (if not on municipal services)
- Comply with all current zoning setback requirements
Steps to Split Your Property
- Talk to the Zoning Administrator first. Call Dick Hassberger at (989) 588-9841 ext. 5. He can review your parcel and let you know if a split is feasible before you spend money on surveys.
- Hire a licensed surveyor. You will need a professional survey showing the proposed division, existing structures, easements, and dimensions of all resulting parcels.
- Submit a Land Division Application. Bring your completed application and survey to the township office. Include a description of both the parent parcel and the proposed new parcels.
- Planning Commission review. The Planning Commission will review your application at their next meeting. They check that both parcels meet zoning requirements and that the split does not create landlocked parcels or other problems.
- Get approval and record the deed. Once approved, you can record the new parcel descriptions with the Clare County Register of Deeds.
Key Details
- Cost: Application fees plus surveyor costs (surveys typically run $500-$1,500 depending on complexity).
- Timeline: Plan for 4-8 weeks from application to approval, depending on the Planning Commission meeting schedule.
- Michigan law limits the number of times a parcel can be divided. Your parent parcel's division history matters.
Common Mistakes
- Splitting before checking zoning. If the resulting lots are too small or lack road frontage, the split will be denied.
- Selling land before the split is recorded. The legal division must be completed and recorded with the county before any transfer.
- Forgetting about easements. Existing utility or access easements can complicate a split. Your surveyor should identify these early.