Property Ownership of severed lots

[ninepointer]

Almost all lot creation is now directed to within designated settlement areas (inside urban area boundaries).

Very limited lot creation is permitted in Agriculturally designated lands (areas where Class 1, 2 & 3 soils predominate. This lot creation is guided by the Provincial policies (PPS 2014) cited below, although municipalities can be more restrictive:

2.3.4.1 Lot creation in prime agricultural areas is discouraged and may only be permitted for:
a)
agricultural uses, provided that the lots are of a size appropriate for the type of agricultural use(s) common in the area and are sufficiently large to maintain flexibility for future changes in the type or size of agricultural operations;
b)
agriculture-related uses, provided that any new lot will be limited to a minimum size needed to accommodate the use and appropriate sewage and water services;
c) a
residence surplus to a farming operation as a result of farm consolidation, provided that:
1. the new lot will be limited to a minimum size needed to accommodate the use and appropriate
sewage and water services; and
2. the planning authority ensures that new residential dwellings are prohibited on any remnant parcel of farmland created by the severance. The approach used to ensure that no new residential dwellings are permitted on the remnant parcel may be recommended by the Province, or based on municipal approaches which achieve the same objective; and
d)
infrastructure, where the facility or corridor cannot be accommodated through the use of easements or rights-of-way.
2.3.4.2 Lot adjustments in
prime agricultural areas may be permitted for legal or technical reasons.
2.3.4.3 The creation of new residential lots in
prime agricultural areas shall not be permitted, except in accordance with policy 2.3.4.1(c).

You also have "specialty crop areas" (i.e. within the Greenbelt Plan) and the Oak Ridges Moraine Plan, where lot creation is as restricted, or more restricted, than on Agriculturally designated lands.

Next you have Rural Lands, which have a lower priority for protection as they are generally Class 4-7 soils. Here lot creation is much more flexible and is largely up to Regional, County and local Official Plan policies, which will still direct most lots to settlement areas.

Environmentally designated lands are for the most part no-go as far as lot creation.

In answer to the OP's question, use Skeeter's advice and if you can grab the property Roll Number off the public mapping (GIS) system), take that number to the municipal office where they will let you access the Roll books, which will tell you the assessed owner's name and mailing address (no phone number).

[Fishy Wishy]

I believe NP knows his stuff on this topic from professional experience.

[TurkeyObsessed]

I let a young lad Bow-Hunt this property for two years....he was in college and away from home and posted a note on the bulletin board at the grocery store. I saw it, understood his predicament and gave him a call.

Nice lad, ended up with joining the RCMP.

Very nice of you to do that. There should be more people like you, trusting of others.

[fishy steve]

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.

townships have the ability to aprove different severences... on average a 100 acre lot is permitted to be severed no more then 4 times, no matter ownership change... there is also an option of property boundary extension, which is if you owned neighbouring property, the boundaries of your property could be extended, and would not effect the severance potential...

either go knock on doors, or the township office could provide you with owners information...

[MikePal]

I think my township has a $850 nonrefundable charge to request a severance and they hate to give them. A big issue beside agricultural land is the increase number of 'driveways' attaching to the roads.

A few years back there was a concern that they were going to implemend a minimum 4 acres severances, for septic/well concerns etc. I'm pretty sure that was backed off.

[fishy steve]

i believe here in chisholm we need a minimum 60 meters of road frontage, and 2 acres for a severance...