Poland roadway strip maintenance carries legal risks

Property owners in Poland face potential legal and financial consequences for unauthorized interference with public roadway strips. While many residents treat the green space between their fences and the road as private property, these areas often belong to the State Treasury or local government units.

Under the Act on Public Roads, the roadway strip includes not only the asphalt but also ditches, shoulders, embankments, and roadside greenery. Unauthorized activities such as installing parking spaces, placing decorative stones, or planting shrubs without permission from the road manager can result in significant fines.

Legal ownership is determined by land and building registers and geodetic documentation rather than long-term maintenance. Simply mowing the grass or tending to the area for many years does not grant ownership rights through adverse possession, as the acquisition of public road lands is legally excluded.