Minerals after the shale decade
Utica shale development transformed mineral ownership in eastern Ohio. Leasing was widespread, severances multiplied, and many surface owners discovered they held no subsurface rights. Where minerals are severed and leased, the holder has rights of reasonable surface access for development.
A mineral title search is not optional on eastern Ohio acreage. Establish whether minerals are severed, who holds them, and whether an active lease exists. Where an interest appears long dormant, the Dormant Mineral Act may offer a route to reunification, but it is a legal process with real requirements. Our mineral rights guide covers the fundamentals.
CAUV recoupment
Land enrolled in CAUV is taxed at agricultural value, a substantial saving. Converting to non-agricultural use triggers recoupment of three years of tax difference. A buyer intending to develop or subdivide enrolled ground should price that recovery into the transaction and establish in the contract who bears it.
Drainage law and the neighbour problem
Ohio has a developed body of law governing surface water and drainage between neighbouring properties, along with county drainage improvement processes that can assess costs against benefited land. On flat agricultural ground, tile drainage systems may cross property lines under arrangements that are decades old and poorly documented.
Ask about existing drainage tile, any county ditch assessments, and whether the parcel is in a drainage improvement district. These are real recurring costs and real sources of neighbour conflict.
What to verify
Mineral severance and lease status, especially east of Columbus. CAUV enrollment and recoupment exposure. Drainage assessments and tile arrangements. Legal access and septic feasibility. The risk scorecard handles the screening pass.