Posted by: Archipelago Law in Land Use, Maine Roads, Municipal Law, Property Law, Uncategorized on August 20, 2026
Understanding one of Maine Real Estate’s Most Overlooked Property Issues
When most people think about property boundaries, they picture stone walls, fences, or survey pins. But in Maine, one of the most important pieces of land affecting your property may exist only on paper.
These are known as paper streets—roads that appear on old subdivision plans but were never built, accepted by a municipality, or opened for public use. While they may seem like historical curiosities, paper streets can have significant implications for waterfront property owners, developers, municipalities, surveyors, and anyone buying land in Maine.
Understanding how paper streets work can make the difference between gaining valuable usable land—or discovering unexpected restrictions on your property.
What Is a Paper Street?
A paper street is a street or right-of-way that exists on a recorded subdivision plan but nowhere else.
Many Maine subdivisions created throughout the 19th and 20th centuries included ambitious street layouts intended for future development. Decades later, many of those proposed roads were never constructed. Today, thousands of these paper streets still appear on recorded plans throughout the state.
Who Owns a Paper Street?
Under Maine Law, when land is conveyed that abuts a proposed, unaccepted way shown on a recorded subdivision plan, the deed is generally presumed to convey ownership to the centerline of that way, unless the grantor clearly reserved ownership.
In practice, this means many property owners unknowingly own the fee interest beneath half of an adjacent paper street.
Do Public Rights Still Exist?
Municipal public rights to the paper street may terminate if a proposed road is never “accepted” by the Municipality within the 20-year statutory period. Similarly, private easement rights to a paper street may also terminate if the road is never constructed and utilized within this 20-year statutory period.
Why Do Paper Streets Matter?
For some property owners, understanding the legal status of a paper street can increase the amount of usable land available for development. It can affect questions for property owners and developers like building setbacks, lot dimensions, expansion opportunities, conformance with shoreland zoning requirements.
Every Paper Street Is Different
Determining ownership often requires reviewing documents like historical subdivision plans, the property’s chain of title, recorded deeds, municipal acceptance records, applicable statutes, Maine case law, and municipal ordinances. It is important to keep in mind that no two paper street issues are exactly alike.
The Takeaway
Although they may appear to be forgotten remnants of old subdivision plans, they can have real consequences for property ownership, development potential, zoning compliance, and boundary determinations.
If your property borders an old, unbuilt road—or if you’re planning to purchase, develop, or improve property within an older subdivision—it is worth understanding whether a paper street is involved and how Maine law applies.
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