Blog · September 27, 2026
Fee in the Street vs an Easement for the Road
Some dedications convey the fee title of the street to the public. Others grant only an easement, and the adjoining owners keep the underlying fee.
Platbookmapper is an Amazon Associate. If you buy through an Amazon link on this page, we earn a commission. The link is a product, not the county map.
The plat's dedication paragraph is the first evidence. State law supplies a default when the words are old and brief. The difference matters if the road is ever vacated.
On the recorded sheet
If the public holds only an easement, a vacation may return the use to the underlying owner. If the public holds the fee, vacation is a different conveyance.
The mix-up to avoid
You cannot tell which it is from the pavement. You read the dedication.
Find the county map
The county GIS map is the practical place to start. Find it from the Platbookmapper directory, then treat the recorded plat and deed as the documents behind the picture.
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey.