60-4-209. Abandoned highway property -- title vests in contiguous owner. (1) Except as provided in 60-4-213 through 60-4-218, upon abandonment by the state in the manner provided in subsection (2) of an interest in real property acquired for the purpose of establishment of a highway, the owner of contiguous real property or the owner's successor in interest is vested with the abandoned interest to the extent provided in subsection (3).
(2) For the purposes of this section:
(a) a fee simple interest may be abandoned only by the proper order of the commission; and
(b) an interest of less than fee simple may be abandoned in the manner provided in subsection (2)(a), by operation of law, and by judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(3) Except as provided in 60-4-213 through 60-4-218, the interest acquired by the contiguous property owner under subsection (1) is the abandoned interest or portion of the interest:
(a) if there are different contiguous property owners on each side of the abandoned interest, bounded on one side by the contiguous property and on the remaining two opposite sides by lines following the shortest distance from the extreme ends of the contiguous property abutting upon the abandoned interest to the center of the abandoned interest; and
(b) if the owners of the contiguous property on each side of the abandoned interest are the same, bounded on two opposite sides by the contiguous properties and on the two remaining opposite sides by lines following the shortest distance from the extreme ends of the contiguous property on one side of the abandoned interest to the extreme ends of the contiguous property on the other side of the abandoned interest.
(4) For the purpose of this section, an interest in property abandoned by a proper order of the commission includes an interest in property that the commission determines to be unnecessary to the laying out, altering, construction, improvement, or maintenance of a highway, whether or not the commission determines to sell the interest.
(5) Except as provided in 60-4-213 through 60-4-218, the interest acquired by a contiguous property owner under subsection (3) is conditioned upon the use of the property for agricultural or noncommercial purposes. If the property is used for commercial purposes or for purposes of future subdivision or other similar development, the property must revert to the state for sale pursuant to this part. This restriction applies to all subsequent holders of title to the property.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 423, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 226, L. 2005.
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