Highway Appropriation Notices

2013 Bicentennial Celebration

 

Record Series Highway Appropriation Notices
Sample of Records View a sample record
Sample Map View a sample map
Dates 1896-Present
Location Warren County Records Storage & Archives.
Format Preprinted letter and legal-sized forms with hand-written or typed entries
Arranged Chronological by File Date
Volume 3.5 cubic ft
Department County Clerk
Legal Restrictions None
Use Restrictions Staff will access all records and must approve all requests for copies
Historical Background Highway Appropriation Notices, identified as Form ROW 91-R1a (with various Schedules) can trace their history back to the turn-of-the century reorganization of the New York State Highway System (L.1894 Ch. 338) and the subsequent passage of the Consolidated Highway Law in 1908 which placed 20th century emphasis on the construction and improvement of public highways. Clearly the State had and continues to have an obligation by law to notify all reputed property owners of their acquisition of land to carry out necessary highway construction and improvements. This has been accomplished by personal service of notice on owners, notification by certified mail, affidavits, and copies of the accompanying map and/or survey. In the event an owner is not located, the legal obligation to notify is accomplished by filing the highway map in the Office of the County Clerk with an accompanying Schedule C (Unable to Serve). All documents are a permanent record of the County Clerk.
Description of Record Series Preprinted letter and legal-sized forms with hand-written or typed entries contain all information relevant to notice being given for the acquisition of lands for highway projects and including: Highway Name, Highway Number, Map and Parcel Numbers, Reputed Owner, Description of Property with Copy of Map presented for filing (early filing revealed the maps physically attached by fasteners or staples to the notice), State Dept. of Transportation Certification, Notary stamps, County Clerk Certification of Filing and File Dates. Current forms include: Notice of Appropriation (Schedule A), Affidavits of Personal Service (Schedule B), Notice of Filing Unable to Serve (Schedule C), Affidavit of Service of Certified Mail (Schedule E). While date span is 1894-date, we note selected gaps in the period 1933-1945. Schedule: CO-2 681 and 682.
Purpose of Record Documents provide, as required by law, a record of notification to a property owner by New York State of the acquisition of property for highway construction, improvement and/or right-of-way.
Other Formats Notices may be re-created (from microfilm) in Deed Books, with original filed separately.
Finding Aids Series described on inventory database, archival catalog. Indexed in Deeds; also on current County Clerk's Computerized Map Index (see Appropriation). Arranged and accessed by filing dates.
Related Series Maps - Highway Right-of-Way, Deeds, Civil Actions - Highway, Highway Papers.