Section 5571.011. Relocating roads

If a person through whose land a public road has been established which is under the jurisdiction of a board of township trustees, desires to turn or change or relocate such road or any part thereof through any part of the person's land, the person may file a petition with such board of township trustees setting forth briefly the particular change desired. Upon receipt of such petition, the board of township trustees shall give notice by publication once, not later than two weeks prior to the date which such board shall fix for a hearing on such petition, in a newspaper of general circulation in said township, stating that such petition has been filed and setting forth the change desired in such road and the date and place of such hearing.

Upon receipt of such a petition the board of township trustees shall cause a competent engineer to make a survey of the ground over which the road is proposed to be changed, and to make a report in writing, together with a plat and survey of the proposed change and the engineer's opinion as to its advantage or disadvantage. The report of such engineer shall be filed with the board prior to the hearing of such petition.

At the hearing had on the petition the board of township trustees may hear evidence for or against changing the road, and if the board is satisfied that the proposed change will not cause serious injury or disadvantage to the public, it may make a finding of such fact in its journal and authorize the petitioner to change such road in conformity with the prayer of the petition. The board may grant the change as prayed for in the petition, or it may order such change of the route of such road as will, in its judgment, be for the best interest of the public.

Upon receiving satisfactory evidence that the road has been changed as authorized by it, and opened to the legal width and improved as required by it, the board of township trustees shall declare such new road a public highway and cause a record thereof to be made and at the same time vacate so much of the old road as is rendered unnecessary by the new road. The person petitioning for such change shall in all cases pay all costs and expenses in connection with the proceeding, as found and determined by the board, and the expense of making such change, including the cost of relocation of any conduits, cables, wires, towers, poles or other equipment or appliances of any public utility, located on, over or under such road. The petitioner shall, on the filing of the petition for such change, give bond to the satisfaction of the board in such amount as it determines to secure payment of the costs of the proceeding and to cover the expense of making the change asked for by the petition.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 08-01-1955