Mich. Comp. Laws » Michigan Compiled Laws / Chapter 560 / Act 288 of 1967
Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 560.253 (2026)

Dedication of plats; reservation of mineral rights.

✓ current as of July 2026
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LAND DIVISION ACT


Act 288 of 1967


560.253 Dedication of plats; reservation of mineral rights.

Sec. 253.

    (1) When a plat is certified, signed, acknowledged and recorded as prescribed in this act, every dedication, gift or grant to the public or any person, society or corporation marked or noted as such on the plat shall be deemed sufficient conveyance to vest the fee simple of all parcels of land so marked and noted, and shall be considered a general warranty against the donors, their heirs and assigns to the donees for their use for the purposes therein expressed and no other.

    (2) The land intended for the streets, alleys, commons, parks or other public uses as designated on the plat shall be held by the municipality in which the plat is situated in trust to and for such uses and purposes.

    (3) A reservation or an ownership interest in mineral rights or underground gas storage rights in land shall not constitute the holding of title for the purpose of signing the proprietor's certificate.

History: 1967, Act 288, Eff. Jan. 1, 1968

PopularName Notes:

Plat Act

PopularName Notes:

Subdivision Control
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 27 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1971–2025 · leading case: Martin v. Beldean, 677 N.W.2d 312 (Mich. 2004).
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Martin v. Beldean, 677 N.W.2d 312 (Mich. 2004). · cites it 11× “We hold that private dedications in plats filed after the effective date of MCL 560.253(1), January 1, 1968, are expressly recognized and allowed under Michigan law.”
Beach v. Lima Twp., 802 N.W.2d 1 (Mich. 2011). · cites it 6× “See also Martin, 469 Mich at 548 n 18 (stating that “[a]s we explain[ed] in Little, a private dedication made before [the LDA] took effect conveyed an irrevocable easement, whereas MCL 560.253[1] now indicates that a private dedication conveys a fee interest”).”
2000 Baum Fam. Trust v. Babel, 793 N.W.2d 633 (Mich. 2010). · cites it 2× “MCL 560.253(1).14 The operative language makes clear that the statute conveys a “fee” that is expressly limited by the terms of the dedication.”
Tomecek v. Bavas, 759 N.W.2d 178 (Mich. 2008). · cites it 2× “For example, MCL 560.253(1) states that "every dedication, gift or grant to the public or any person, society or corporation marked or noted as such on the plat shall be deemed sufficient conveyance to vest the fee simple of all parcels of land so marked.”
Morse v. Colitti, 896 N.W.2d 15 (Mich. Ct. App. 2016). “MCL 560.253(1) provides, *543 in relevant part, that a dedication is deemed to convey the dedicated property in fee simple to the recipients of the dedication.”
Little v. Hirschman, 677 N.W.2d 319 (Mich. 2004). · cites it 2× “We held that the Court of Appeals had misread MCL 560.253(1), which is part of 1967 PA 288 , because it specifically authorized private dedications.”
Beach v. Lima Twp., 770 N.W.2d 386 (Mich. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “Reading together the opinions in Martin and Little , we conclude that private dedications in plats filed on or after January 1, 1968, are expressly recognized and permitted under Michigan law, MCL 560.253(1) (enacted as part of 1967 PA 288 ), and that private dedications in…”
Martin v. Beldean, 638 N.W.2d 142 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 3× “Plaintiffs assert that they own the parcel through a valid deed and that defendants claim ownership by statutory dedication under MCL 560.253 of the Land Division Act, previously known as the Subdivision Control Act, MCL 560.”
McCardel v. Smolen, 273 N.W.2d 3 (Mich. 1978). “The current statute is MCL 560.253; MSA 26.430(253). 18 Backus v Detroit, fn 4, supra.”
Vill. of Kalkaska v. Shell Oil Co., 446 N.W.2d 91 (Mich. 1989). · cites it 2× “See MCL 560.253; MSA 26.430(253). [5] The judgment declared that plaintiffs "have no right, title or interest in any coal, oil, gas or other mineral found to be on or under the platted streets which are the subject matter of this action," that Shell "has valid leasehold title to…”
Marx v. Dep't of Com., 558 N.W.2d 460 (Mich. Ct. App. 1997). “, provides: When a plat is certified, signed, acknowledged and recorded as prescribed in this act, every dedication, gift or grant to the public or any person, society or corporation marked or noted as such on the plat shall be deemed sufficient conveyance to vest the fee simple…”
Eyde Bros. Dev. Co. v. Roscommon Cnty. Bd. of Road Commissioners, 411 N.W.2d 814 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987). “[1] 1 1967 PA 288 , § 253, MCL 560.253(2); MSA 26.430(253), similarly provides: The land intended for the streets, alleys, commons, parks or other public uses as designated on the plat shall be held by the municipality in which the plat is situated in trust to and for such uses…”
Show all 27 citing cases →
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 560.253(1) — 15 cases
Martin v. Beldean, 677 N.W.2d 312 (Mich. 2004). “We hold that private dedications in plats filed after the effective date of MCL 560.253(1), January 1, 1968, are expressly recognized and allowed under Michigan law.”
Beach v. Lima Twp., 802 N.W.2d 1 (Mich. 2011). “See also Martin, 469 Mich at 548 n 18 (stating that “[a]s we explain[ed] in Little, a private dedication made before [the LDA] took effect conveyed an irrevocable easement, whereas MCL 560.253[1] now indicates that a private dedication conveys a fee interest”).”
2000 Baum Fam. Trust v. Babel, 793 N.W.2d 633 (Mich. 2010). “MCL 560.253(1).14 The operative language makes clear that the statute conveys a “fee” that is expressly limited by the terms of the dedication.”
Tomecek v. Bavas, 759 N.W.2d 178 (Mich. 2008). “For example, MCL 560.253(1) states that "every dedication, gift or grant to the public or any person, society or corporation marked or noted as such on the plat shall be deemed sufficient conveyance to vest the fee simple of all parcels of land so marked.”
Morse v. Colitti, 896 N.W.2d 15 (Mich. Ct. App. 2016). “MCL 560.253(1) provides, *543 in relevant part, that a dedication is deemed to convey the dedicated property in fee simple to the recipients of the dedication.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 560.253(2) — 3 cases
Eyde Bros. Dev. Co. v. Roscommon Cnty. Bd. of Road Commissioners, 411 N.W.2d 814 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987). “[1] 1 1967 PA 288 , § 253, MCL 560.253(2); MSA 26.430(253), similarly provides: The land intended for the streets, alleys, commons, parks or other public uses as designated on the plat shall be held by the municipality in which the plat is situated in trust to and for such uses…”
Twp. of Grayling v. Alan Berry (Mich. Ct. App. 2019).
Robert Kanas v. Duane Travis (Mich. Ct. App. 2025).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.