Determining Property Lines on Vacant Block

**Jonfen** · March-28-13, 07:29 PM

I bought a vacant lot in the middle of a vacant block and am trying to figure out an easy/accurate way to determine my exact property lines. Does anyone have any ideas?

I tracked down an old Sanborn map hoping that would help, and while I was able to find my lot I don't see any lot measurements...

**Hermod** · March-28-13, 07:43 PM

The survey that accompanies your deed should show the lot measurements. As a rough guess, measure from street center to street center on the cross streets. Come up to the inner side of the sidewalks on the cross streets. Take the number of lots on the block and divide to get an even distribution. That will be your lot frontage. Measure from the inner side of the sidewalks on one cross street and from the other. You will probably find the front two corners of your lot [[as an approximation). Detroit lots outside of the older downtown are generally laid out with an equal frontage for each lot on the block.

**SWMAP** · March-28-13, 08:07 PM

If the sidewalks still exist, then likely the irons are still present. For about $200 per line [[ only one line from the front is critical) a surveyor can come and very quickly find a boundary iron placed when the early subdivision was laid out. If you have a good idea, such as may be gained by using Hermod's method, you could start digging yourself. Mine were about 6 inches above the sidewalk and 6 " down. Black iron stakes - one on all four corners of the lot and they had not moved in more than a century.
Your deed will tell you how many feet across the front to the other iron. When you uncover those irons [[which you may not move or remove) then you have your legal lot.