Easements in Hennepin County, MN
Hennepin County runs both abstract and Torrens title systems, which changes how easements are proven — a distinction that matters more here than almost anywhere else.
Hennepin County Recorder / Registrar of Titles
The county publishes a free public parcel viewer showing platted easement strips.
About 15 years of open, continuous, adverse use is generally required.
Minn. Stat. § 541.02
Read the Minnesota rulesEasements you'll see most often here
- Public utility and alley easements
- Storm sewer and lake drainage easements
- Shared driveway easements
- Trail and park easements
Local things to watch for
- Torrens property lists easements as memorials on the certificate of title.
- Prescriptive rights generally cannot be claimed against Torrens property.
Check your own lot
Upload your title commitment and we'll translate Schedule B into plain English, then map the easements against your parcel boundary — free.
Common questions
How do I find out if my Hennepin County property has an easement?
Start with the title commitment or owner's policy from your purchase — easements are listed in Schedule B. Recorded easements are also indexed by the Hennepin County Recorder / Registrar of Titles, and the county's free public parcel viewer usually shows platted easement strips. A current survey catches anything used on the ground but never recorded.
What easements are most common in Hennepin County?
Public utility and alley easements, Storm sewer and lake drainage easements, Shared driveway easements, among others. Torrens property lists easements as memorials on the certificate of title.
Can a neighbor gain a permanent right to cross my Hennepin County land?
In Minnesota, open, continuous, and adverse use generally has to run for about 15 years before a prescriptive easement can be claimed. Permission given in writing usually stops the clock, because the use is then no longer adverse.
Does an easement lower property value in Minneapolis?
It depends on where it sits and what it prohibits. A narrow utility strip along a rear lot line rarely affects value. An easement that crosses the buildable area, bars fences and structures, or gives someone else a driveway through the yard can meaningfully limit what the property can become.
Know your easements before you close
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General educational reference only. Prescription periods and their exceptions change, and several states set the period by case law rather than by statute. Read the linked official code and consult a licensed attorney in that state before relying on any of it.