The University of Otago is about to become the proud owner of a driveway.
Its tender for the 503sqm strip of land at 61 Frederick St had been successful and it would take ownership on Friday, the university's capital development committee meeting heard yesterday.
The university approached the Dunedin City Council about the land because it ran parallel to Great King St and provided access to several properties the university already owned, chief operating officer John Patrick said after the meeting.
However, that set off a complicated chain of events, as the council discovered the land was in the name of Peter Hyde-Harris, a city ratepayer who died almost 100 years ago.
It was declared abandoned last year, after attempts to find Mr Hyde-Harris' descendants were unsuccessful, and later put up for tender.
Mr Patrick said the university had paid $30,000 - $10,000 more than the land's rateable value.
The right-of-way would stay ‘‘pretty much as it was now'', property services director Barry MacKay told the committee.
A sign would be erected saying it was university land and access and car parking arrangements would be formalised with neighbouring owners or lessees.
‘‘Stray cars'' that had been parking on the land would be identified, he said.
‘‘There will be a much more controlled approach as to who uses this land and who parks there," he said.