Easements in Franklin County, OH
Columbus-area subdivisions carry standard platted utility easements, while older parcels can still be crossed by rail and interurban corridors.
Franklin County Recorder
The county publishes a free public parcel viewer showing platted easement strips.
About 21 years of open, continuous, adverse use is generally required.
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2305.04
Read the Ohio rulesEasements you'll see most often here
- Public utility easements along lot lines
- Storm and sanitary sewer easements
- Former rail and interurban corridor easements
- Shared driveway easements in older neighborhoods
Local things to watch for
- Abandoned rail corridors may have reverted, or may not — the original conveyance language controls.
- Sewer easements often run down the shared line between two lots.
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 Franklin 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 Franklin County Recorder, 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 Franklin County?
Public utility easements along lot lines, Storm and sanitary sewer easements, Former rail and interurban corridor easements, among others. Abandoned rail corridors may have reverted, or may not — the original conveyance language controls.
Can a neighbor gain a permanent right to cross my Franklin County land?
In Ohio, open, continuous, and adverse use generally has to run for about 21 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 Columbus?
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
Upload your title commitment and get a plain-English easement audit in minutes.
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.