N.Y. Highway Law Section 212-A
Abandoning of parts of town highways

Whenever, pursuant to this chapter or under the provisions of any statute, any town road shall have been widened, straightened, extended, drained, paved or otherwise improved and in the process thereof a town shall have acquired from an adjacent owner certain lands necessary for said right-of-way by purchase, condemnation or as a gift and where under such circumstances either the grantor of said new right-of-way shall own the property on both sides thereof for the full length of the new taking or the consent in writing of any and all other owners within such area be given, and there shall be sections of the old road as it existed before said improvement which are of no further use for highway purposes to said town, the town board of said town in which said land is situated, upon the recommendation of the town superintendent of highways, may adopt a resolution, with the consent of the county superintendent of highways, to abandon to the abutting owner or owners such sections or parts of the old road as it existed before said improvement which are of no further use for highway purposes, providing the road after such abandonment shall be not less than three rods in width, and the supervisor of said town is hereby authorized to execute and acknowledge in the name of the town and affix the seal of the town to a quit-claim deed or deeds of the land so abandoned and to deliver the same to the abutting owner or owners for such consideration and upon such terms and conditions as the town board of the said town shall deem proper. The adoption of the hereinbefore mentioned resolution by the town board shall be an immediate abandonment and discontinuance of the use for highway and street purposes of said sections or parts of the old road described in said resolution without any further or other proceedings.

Source: Section 212-A — Abandoning of parts of town highways, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/HAY/212-A (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Jan. 31, 2026).

170
Survey for the laying out of a highway 171
Highways by dedication 172
Application 173
Petition for acquisition 177
Damages in certain cases 180
Limitations upon laying out highways 181
Laying out highways through burying-grounds 182
Costs 184
When officers of different towns disagree about highway 185
Difference about improvements 186
Highway in two or more towns 187
Laying out, dividing and maintaining highway upon town line, or wholly in one town but adjacent to another town 188
Final determination, how carried out 189
Highways by use 190
Fences to be removed 191
Highways or roads along division lines 192
Adjournments 193
Contracts for the construction of town highways 194
Construction or improvement of town highways by county and town 195
County aid for construction, improvement and maintenance of town highways 196
County aid for connecting highway through villages 197
Damages for change of grade 198
Interest on damages for change of grade 199
Widening highways 203
Widening, how constructed 204
Actions to compel widening 205
Highways abandoned 205–A
Seasonal limited use highway 205–B
Qualified abandonment of certain town highways 205–C
Minimum maintenance roads 206
Highways in lands acquired by the United States for fortification purposes deemed abandoned 207
Discontinuance of highway 208
Description to be recorded 209
Damages caused by discontinuance 210
Papers, where filed 211
Costs of motion 211–A
Abandonment of certain town highways 211–B
Abandonment of certain town highways in school districts 212
Changing location of highways over certain lands owned and occupied by the state 212–A
Abandoning of parts of town highways 213
Construction and repair of approaches to private lands 214
Depositing ashes, snow, ice, stones, sticks, et cetera upon the highway 216
When town not liable for damages 218
Storm water sewers in town highways
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Verified:
Jan. 31, 2026

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 212-A. Abandoning of parts of town highways's source at nysenate​.gov

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