Michigan Public Act 58 of 2025 | Sander Scott - Net Real Estate

Michigan Public Act 58 of 2025
Amending the Michigan Land Division Act (Public Act 288 of 1967)
Michigan Compiled Laws §560.108

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.

Statutory Change

Before Public Act 58, the Michigan Land Division Act allowed:

4 parcels from the first 10 acres

Public Act 58 modifies this formula.

Beginning in 2027, the statute allows:

10 parcels from the first 10 acres

The amendment modifies MCL §560.108.

Public Act 58 modifies the allowable parcel count associated with the first ten acres of a parent parcel.

Implementation Timeline

Public Act 58 follows a staged implementation schedule.

Date	Event
December 2025	Public Act 58 signed into law
March 24, 2026	Act becomes effective
March 24, 2026	Local governments may authorize additional splits by ordinance
March 24, 2027	Statewide baseline changes to 10 parcels for the first 10 acres

Between March 24, 2026 and March 24, 2027, the existing four-parcel baseline remains in effect statewide unless a local ordinance authorizes additional divisions.

Local Ordinance Authority

Public Act 58 adds Section 108(6) to the Land Division Act.

This provision allows counties, townships, and municipalities with land-division authority under Section 109 to adopt ordinances authorizing additional parcel divisions.

Local ordinances may include standards governing:

road access
utilities
infrastructure requirements
site conditions

If no ordinance is adopted, the statewide parcel formula remains in effect until March 24, 2027.

How Parcel Counts Are Calculated

The Michigan Land Division Act calculates divisions based on resulting parcels, not the number of individual splits.

Section 108 uses an acreage scale tied to the size of the parent parcel. Additional divisions become available as acreage increases.

The scale includes acreage thresholds such as:

the first 10 acres
the next 30 acres
the next 60 acres
the next 120 acres
the next 240 acres

Public Act 58 modifies the number of parcels allowed from the first ten acres but does not change the remainder of the acreage scale used in Section 108.

Because parcel calculations depend on the exact acreage and division history of the parent parcel, land-division authorities typically calculate allowable divisions during the application review process.

Relationship to Zoning and Local Regulation

Land Division Act approval does not override local zoning regulations.

Parcel creation must still comply with:

minimum lot size requirements
lot width standards
access requirements
local zoning district regulations

Local zoning ordinances are administered by townships, villages, and cities.

Access Requirements

Section 109 of the Land Division Act requires that each parcel created through division have adequate access.

Access may occur through:

public road frontage
recorded private road easements
recorded access easements

Michigan land-division guidance requires that parcels served by private roads include recorded documentation identifying the access arrangement.

Survey and Recording Requirements

A parcel created through land division becomes legally recognized after the division is approved by the land-division authority and recorded with the local register of deeds.

Recording typically includes:

legal descriptions for each parcel
survey documentation prepared by a licensed surveyor
documentation of access easements if applicable

Local land-division authorities administer review procedures associated with parcel creation.

Property Tax Treatment

Parcel division itself does not automatically trigger taxable value uncapping.

In Michigan property tax administration:

uncapping occurs when ownership transfers

When a parcel is divided, assessors allocate the existing taxable value of the parent parcel among the resulting parcels.

If the resulting parcels are later sold, those transfers may trigger uncapping for the transferred parcel.

Property tax administration is governed by the Michigan State Tax Commission and local assessing authorities.

Interaction With Larger Subdivision Development

The Land Division Act governs parcel divisions created outside of the subdivision platting process.

If a development proposes more parcels than allowed under the Land Division Act, creation of the parcels may require:

subdivision platting under the Subdivision Control Act
condominium land development structures

Public Act 58 modifies the allowable parcel count but does not remove platting requirements for larger developments.

Geographic Relevance in Northern Michigan

Parcel division rules frequently appear in rural property records in Northern Michigan.

Land ownership patterns in counties such as:

Leelanau County
Grand Traverse County
Benzie County
Antrim County
Kalkaska County

often include farmland, timberland, and larger rural acreage where Land Division Act calculations apply.

Summary

Michigan Public Act 58 of 2025 modifies the parcel-division formula contained in Section 108 of the Michigan Land Division Act.

The statute increases the number of parcels allowed from the first ten acres of a parent parcel from four to ten.

The Act becomes effective March 24, 2026 and allows local governments to authorize additional parcel divisions through ordinance beginning on that date.

The statewide baseline allowing ten parcels from the first ten acres takes effect March 24, 2027.

Land divisions remain subject to zoning regulations, access requirements, and recording procedures administered by local authorities.

Sources

Michigan Legislature — Public Act 58 of 2025
Michigan Compiled Laws §560.108
Michigan Land Division Act (Act 288 of 1967)
Michigan State Tax Commission guidance
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) land-division training materials