Property Line Adjustments

Guide
Get the property line adjustment application. Learn more and apply for a property line adjustment in the City of Portland. Move lot lines, relocate lot lines and get information about a common lot line.
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Get the property line adjustment application


A property line adjustment procedure is used to relocate a single existing common property line between two abutting lots or lots of records. No additional lots or building sites may be created.  

Property line adjustment applications must include surveys and written legal descriptions which have been prepared by a licensed surveyor in the State of Oregon. Chapter 33.677, Property Line Adjustments, outlines the zoning code requirements for all property line adjustments.

Process

Property Line Adjustments are processed administratively and typically take six to eight weeks. The approved application, survey, legal descriptions and the deed of the exchange parcel must be recorded with the County Recorder within 90 days of City approval. The survey must also be filed with the County Surveyor. The recording numbers and survey filing information must be provided to Land Use Services staff for the PLA to be considered complete.

Apply for a property line adjustment 

A complete property line adjustment application submittal includes:

  • Completed application form with original or electronic signatures of all property owners, site legal description and other requested information. Note: Proof of signer authorization is required for a company, LLC, corporation, Trust, or other ownership that is not an individual person(s) ownership. Please provide the Articles of Incorporation, Trust document, or Secretary of State document showing that the person signing is authorized to sign for the company, trust, or corporation.
  • Survey showing the property line adjustment that is performed, stamped and signed by a registered land surveyor. The property line to be relocated and the new property line must be clearly illustrated. The adjusted properties must be labeled Tract 1 and Tract 2 and the square footage before and after the PLA must be provided.
  • Legal description for each adjusted lot and the area to be exchanged prepared, stamped and signed by a surveyor.
  • Survey showing existing development, including structures (with eaves shown) and paved areas prepared and signed by a registered surveyor. The surveyed distance between all structures and the proposed lot line must be shown. Structures and exterior improvements to be removed prior to the PLA approval must be identified.
  • Site Utility Plan, including water, sanitary sewer and stormwater facilities prepared and signed by a registered surveyor to show compliance with Zoning Code Section 33.677.300.F. This should include existing and proposed utility laterals and how stormwater is managed for an existing structure to remain.
  • Application fee.

Visit Planning Services for instructions on how to submit your application.

Things to remember about property line adjustments 

Since property line adjustments move and reconfigure existing property lines, it is important to remember the following:

  • A property line adjustment does not vacate a plat nor does it add lot lines or create a new lot. The number of lots after the property line adjustment may not exceed the number of lots before the property line adjustment. A land division is required to create an additional lot. A Replat can be used to consolidate and move existing lot lines.
  • A property line adjustment can't alter the availability of existing services to a site.
  • The adjusted lots must meet zoning code requirements such as lot depth, width and area of the underlying base zone.
  • All development standards (e.g., setbacks, building coverage, minimum parking, etc.) are reviewed during the property line adjustment process. The property line adjustment cannot cause existing development to move out of conformance with development standards.
  • Applications must meet all the standards of Zoning Code Chapter 33.677, Property Line Adjustments
  • Any necessary Adjustments to development standards must be granted prior to approval of a property line adjustment.
  • No more than three property line adjustments on a site may be requested per calendar year.
  • Concurrent property line adjustments must be approved and recorded one at a time, in sequence.
  • The actual property line is not officially moved until a deed to transfer the title is recorded and a survey is filed with the County in which the property is located.

When a property line adjustment can't be used 

A property line adjustment may not result in:

  • Street-frontage for a land-locked property
  • A buildable property created from an unbuildable lot, parcel, or remnant
  • A new nonconforming situation
  • New flag lots, except in R5 and R2.5 zoning districts subject to requirements in Chapter 33.677
  • Removal of alley frontage (see code for exceptions for corner lots and new flag lots created through a property line adjustment).

You may combine a lot confirmation with a property line adjustment to re-establish a previously platted property line and then move it.

Property line adjustment fees and deed information 

Get information about Multnomah County deeds:

Review the Land Use Services Fees Schedule and the Unincorporated Multnomah County Land Use Fees Schedule.

Questions? For further assistance with the land use and zoning regulations that apply to your site, please contact Planning and Zoning.