Private Road Maintenance Agreement Needed, Property Has Road Frontage to County Road

[ridgerunner]

My question involves real estate located in the State of: GA

We are in the process of purchasing a home with 12+ acres. The property is currently accessed from a private road. There is access from the county road directly to "my" property. Lender is requesting/requiring a private road maintenance agreement. Two of the four other property owners will not sign agreement, they want the county to maintain the road. It is an easement that does not belong to the county.

Any suggestions as to how to work around this problem.

[Mr. Knowitall]

Negotiate?

Why do the other owners believe that the county will do anything to maintain a private road?

[Newtons_Apple]

Typically, in order for the County or any other government body to accept responsibility for maintaining a roadway it has to be dedicated. Before they will accept a dedication, they will require the road to meet all design and construction standards as defined by them (the County, etc.) I'm assuming the road in question is probably not up to County standards, and I would expect that to bring any road up to code will cost many thousands of dollars.

Dedication also means (in a nutshell) the intention by the landowner(s) to set apart a road on private lands for public use. So once it is dedicated, then the public has free and perpetual access along that road - maybe something you may not want.

I don't know how in love you are with the house, but I would not want to be one of the 2 people of the total of 4 who are living there who would be responsible for the maintenance of a shared road. I've seen enough stories on these boards and heard them elsewhere about individuals who aren't paying their "fair share" for road upkeep being the same individuals who are destroying the road with reckless activity. Keep the option of walking away always open.