Michigan Land Division Act: Structure and Function

Michigan Compiled Laws §560.101–§560.293

The Michigan Land Division Act (Act 288 of 1967) establishes the statutory framework governing the creation of parcels of land outside the subdivision platting process.

The Act defines how land may be divided, how parcel divisions are reviewed, and how parcel limits are calculated.

Land division procedures appear in property records associated with rural land transactions throughout Michigan.

Michigan Land Division Guide

This article is part of the Northern Michigan Land Ownership Guide, which explains property tax classifications, parcel division rules, and regulatory structures affecting rural land in Northern Michigan.

Related articles in this guide include:

Purpose of the Land Division Act

The Land Division Act governs the creation of parcels outside the subdivision platting process.

The statute establishes:

  • limits on the number of parcels that may be created from a parent parcel  
  • procedures for review by local land division authorities  
  • access requirements for newly created parcels  
  • recording procedures associated with parcel creation  

These statutory provisions apply to land divisions occurring outside the subdivision platting process.

Larger multi-parcel developments requiring formal plat approval are governed by subdivision platting statutes rather than the Land Division Act.

Section 108: Parcel Creation Formula

Section 108 establishes the statutory formula used to determine the number of parcels that may be created from a parent parcel.

The calculation may depend on:

  • acreage of the parent parcel  
  • prior divisions associated with the parent parcel  
  • statutory parcel limits contained in the Act  

Parcel limits are calculated based on resulting parcels, not the number of transactions or ownership transfers.

Section 109: Local Review

Section 109 authorizes local land division authorities to review proposed parcel divisions.

The reviewing authority is typically the township, city, or county responsible for administering land division applications.

Review commonly includes confirmation of:

  • the parent parcel used for the calculation  
  • the number of parcels previously created  
  • access requirements for each parcel  
  • documentation required for recording

Parent Parcel Framework

Division rights under Section 108 are calculated from a legally recognized parent parcel.

The parent parcel serves as the baseline used to determine how many parcels may be created.

Parent parcel determinations frequently reference parcel configurations existing on March 31, 1997, when amendments to the Land Division Act established the framework used for calculating division rights.

Access Requirements

Parcels created under the Land Division Act must have adequate access.

Access may occur through:

  • frontage on a public road  
  • recorded private road easements  
  • recorded access easements  

Access documentation typically appears in recorded property records.

Recording of New Parcels

New parcels become legally recognized after:

  • approval by the land division authority  
  • recording of the division with the register of deeds

Recorded documentation commonly includes legal descriptions and survey documentation prepared by a licensed surveyor.

Amendments to the Land Division Act

The Land Division Act has been amended multiple times since its adoption.

One recent amendment is Public Act 58 of 2025, which modifies the parcel creation formula contained in Section 108 beginning March 24, 2027.

Summary

The Michigan Land Division Act establishes the statutory framework governing parcel creation outside the subdivision platting process.

Sections 108 and 109 define how parcels may be created and reviewed by local land division authorities.

These statutory procedures appear in property records associated with rural land transactions throughout Michigan.

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