Property Ownership of severed lots

[Bugzy]

Good morning,

Wondering what tips and tricks you fellow private land seekers use to find out who owns the woodlots and crops behind those nice big country homes throughout southern Ontario?

Typically you find some nice acreage of woodlot and fields/crops with a portion of the lot severed which now has a nice house on it. Their is clear distinction between the fields and the severed lot. Unfortunately these lands are owned by farmers that do not reside on the property and only grow crop on it. How do you typically find the owner of the lots?

Have you had success asking the owner of the severed portion?

Is there another way other then the public registry which i believe has a fee to it in Ontario and potentially another pending on municipality.

Thanks in advance,

[Fox]

Ask the neighbours if you don't feel comfortable asking the owner of the new house.

Farmers know who owns the land around them, go up and have a chat and try to do it when they are not busy.

Good luck

[trimmer21]

A quick trip to your local land registry office will get you all the info you need....for a fee. Be sure you have the legal description of the lot.

[chris lavoie]

Isn't it a tough one to split up farmland?? Regulations pertaining to the subdividing.

[mox72]

Be careful with that one as some landowners might not be too receptive to someone that dug around in municipal offices/documents to find out who they are. I recommend the hat in hand, asking politely at doors for information method.

[werner.reiche]

Isn't it a tough one to split up farmland?? Regulations pertaining to the subdividing.

Not in southern Ontario. They are in the process of paving the whole thing over. Most of what is now GTA was farmland 50 years ago.

[mox72]

Not in southern Ontario. They are in the process of paving the whole thing over. Most of what is now GTA was farmland 50 years ago.

Yep and it was originally settled for a reason, it was the best farmland in the entire country. Gone.

[trappermatt]

Not in southern Ontario. They are in the process of paving the whole thing over. Most of what is now GTA was farmland 50 years ago.

yes its too bad some areas are like this , some other areas this doesnt happen so much

[trimmer21]

It's my understanding that farmland must be sold as a whole. Severing off a one acre lot is permissable only for a family member to build a house on. The lot can never be separately sold as a stand-alone. It must remain part of the farm.

[chris lavoie]

Trimmer, that's the info I was looking for. Its quite hard here to subdivide farmland here.