The proper steps to Split or Combine Property in Oronoko Charter Township
Pre-planning
If you are considering dividing or combining property in Oronoko Charter Township/Village of Berrien Springs, please contact our office to discuss your options. There are local ordinances as well as the Michigan Land Division Act that must be adhered to.
There are seven items that reviewers must consider prior to approval of a land division request. The proposed new parcel:
-must meet the minimum size per the land division act or local ordinance
-must meet the minimum width per the land division act or local ordinance
-must meet the width to depth ratio (depth cannot exceed 4 times the width) if parcel is 10 acres or larger
-must have divisions available
-must be accessible by public roadway or recorded easement
-must not land lock a cemetery
-must have an adequate and accurate legal description
Application
Once you have had all of your questions answered regarding the proposed division, you may complete a Land Division Application and submit the appropriate fee. Our Land Division Application as well as a Division look-up table can be found here .
Fees
Oronoko Charter Township charges a $100 fee per land division and/or combination application.
Per their website, Berrien County Land Description charges a flat fee of $105 per document, survey or authorized request. This fee includes the required Land Division Tax Certification form. This form is now REQUIRED by PA 23 of 2019. Berrien County now has the ability to cancel any approved land division if the property taxes on the parent parcel(s) are not current.
Combination requests are charged a flat fee of $35 per combination and must have municipality approval before being processed. All combinations must have the exact same taxpayer(s) on each parcel involved before it will be processed.
We highly recommend that taxpayers contact Berrien County Land Description for confirmation of these fees as well as any additional information their office may require.
Review
Once the land division application has been accepted and payment for the application has been received, the official review process will begin. The local unit has 45 days of the date of application to review and determine the status of the application. You will be notified either in writing, by phone call or email of the status of the application.
If your request is approved, you will receive a copy of the approved application which must be taken to the Berrien County Land Description Office for payment, certification and processing no later than the last business day of the year.
Selling the newly created parcels
Anytime there is a change in the description of a parcel, a new property identification number is issued which will not become effective or "ACTIVE" until January 1. If the taxpayer sells any “part of” the parent parcel(s) at any time during the current tax year, the owner of record at the time of the division will continue to receive and will be responsible for a property tax bill for the entire tax year on the parcel as it existed on December 31 and it will be the responsibility of the owner of record to acquire the necessary funds from the buyers to cover the taxes on the “part” they sold. The owners of the new parcel do not receive their first tax bill until the following year.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Property taxes must be up to date on all involved parcels at the time of application. If we discover unpaid property taxes on the original parcel(s) at any time throughout the year, a letter will be mailed to the taxpayer as a reminder that property taxes must be paid prior to the land division becoming official.The land division process will terminate if any parent parcel whose property taxes are not up to date on the summer and/or winter tax levies for the current tax year. (See PA 23 of 2019) Tax bills are levied in the summer and the winter. Summer levy is due September 14 and the winter levy is due February 14.
If you feel you received a bill in error, please contact our office immediately.
Please do not ignore your tax notices just because you think you should not receive a bill!!!
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