Private roads are nice to have, because they often have very little traffic. Plus, they can help you reach your property easier. However, a private road can be an inconvenience at times, especially when it comes to the maintenance of the road. So many people believe it is up to the town, city, or state to do road maintenance. However, … Read the rest
Obtaining Approvals to Build on Class VI and Private Roads
Obtaining approvals to build on Class VI and private roads in New Hampshire can be difficult. RSA 674:41 generally prevents New Hampshire municipalities from issuing building permits for structures, unless the street giving access to the lot is a Class V or better highway. Therefore, most local building permit applications for development on Class VI or private … Read the rest
Private Road Maintenance Agreements – Reasons to Form an Association
In previous blogs, we addressed the difference between a private road and an easement, New Hampshire’s new law mandating residential private road maintenance in certain situations and what private road maintenance agreements should include. Having an agreement is an important step. However, creating an association can greatly simplify the administration and enforcement of private road maintenance agreements.
Consider … Read the rest
Private Road Maintenance Agreements – What Should They Include?
You live on a private road. It snows. Now what?
If you do not have a private road maintenance agreement, New Hampshire law requires each residential owner to “contribute equitably to the reasonable cost of maintaining the private road.” Easier said than done. Figuring out each person’s equitable share, and then chasing people for payment, can be cumbersome.
One … Read the rest
Five Things You Need to Know About Private Roads
What is a private road?
A private road is a road over which a limited number of people have the right to pass. In contrast, public roads are roads over which the entire travelling public have the right to pass. Private roads often are created with a written easement, but they also can be created without a written easement. For … Read the rest
What is the Difference Between a Private Road and an Easement?
An access easement is a right to pass over someone else’s property for – you guessed it – access. Other types of easements exist that are not for access. An example is an easement to place and operate a cell tower on someone’s land. A private road also provides access to one’s land.
Generally, only a limited number of people … Read the rest
Two Important Road Bills Become Law
Two important road bills became law this session. One imposes an obligation on certain parties to contribute toward maintenance of private roads. The other allows municipalities to extend the “winter” period for highways to summer cottages.
Private road maintenance
The private road maintenance law began as SB 39 and finished as Chapter 308, Laws of 2019. This session marked … Read the rest
Two Road Bills Being Considered in Concord
The General Court is considering two bills of note dealing with roads this year. One bill would affect the non-maintenance period for highways to summer cottages, and the other is a renewed effort to impose maintenance obligations on owners of residential property on private roads.
Highways to Summer Cottages
Municipalities are exempt from maintaining highways to summer cottages from December … Read the rest
What is an Emergency Lane?
Both Class V and Class VI roads are public roads, meaning the entire traveling public have the right to use them. The big difference between the two is that municipalities have the obligation to maintain Class V roads, but not Class VI roads. Maintenance can be expensive, so municipalities often try to keep the number of Class V roads to … Read the rest
Real Property Law: Private Roads Are Getting Public Attention
Originally published in New Hampshire Bar Association News – May 17, 2017 By: Paul Alfano
Along with state highways, town-maintained public roads, and non-town-maintained public roads, New Hampshire has something else: private roads.
While an important and desirable part of the rural landscape, private roads can lead to certain inconveniences. An abutter to a private road wishing to obtain a … Read the rest