Boundary Surveys Introduction

1
Boundary Surveys Introduction

• Importance of boundary surveys
• Locate property boundaries corners and lines
• Principal reason surveying is a licensed
  profession
• As property values rise
• Accurate parcel delineation and description ?
  more important
• Land rights disputes ? more numerous
• Needed accuracy varies minimum accepted
  guidelines exist

2
Methods of Property Description

• Metes and bounds system
• Common throughout eastern US
• Block and lot system
• Common for e.g. subdivisions
• Description by coordinates
• Often used in US as supplement to e.g. metes and
  bounds
• Issues with datum specifications
• Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
• Common throughout west, midwest and southern US

3
Metes and Bounds

• Concept
• Start with point of beginning (POB)
• Describe lines by directions and lengths
• Ultimately describe closed loop around parcel
• Components
• Metes
• Size and shape e.g. lengths/directions and area
• Bounds
• Intent e.g. name of adjacent owner

4
Metes and Bounds Example

• Commencing at the intersection of the center
  lines of Hunky-dory Road and Latitude Lane
  thence N 45 00' E, 301.00' along a line to a 1"
  iron pipe in concrete at the SW corner of Joe
  Surveyors property thence N 10 30' W, 420.45'
  to a 1" iron pipe in concrete thence N 88 45'
  E, 618.27' to a 1" pipe in concrete said pipe
  being located S 45 00' W, 30 feet, more or less,
  from the waters edge of Triangulation Pond
  thence S 12 50' E, 505.90' to a 1" pipe in
  concrete at the edge of the right-of-way for
  Departure Drive thence S 22 10' W, 310.60'
  along the edge of the right-of-way of Departure
  Drive to a 1" pipe in concrete thence N 79 20'
  W, 762.70' to the point of beginning, containing
  11 acres, more or less.

5
Metes and Bounds Example

• Beginning at an apple tree at about 5 minutes
  walk from Trefethens Landing, thence easterly to
  an apple tree, thence southerly to a rock, thence
  westerly to an apply tree, thence northerly to
  the point of beginning.

6
Metes and Bounds (contd)

• Metes and bounds descriptions should include
• Point of commencement
• Point of beginning
• Definite corners
• Lengths and directions of all property sides
• Names of adjoining property owners
• Areas

7
Public Land Survey System

• Purpose
• Describe and dispose of public domain
• Without need to survey complex boundaries
• Application and history
• Applied to all areas subject to administration,
  survey, and transfer of title under USA public
  land laws since 1785
• In 30 states (midwest, south, and west)
• Similar systems in other areas
• Laws changed numerous times must know when
  original survey was performed (follow correct
  rules)
• Distances in Gunter chains

8
General Procedure of PLSS

• Divisions
• Divide area into tracts (24 miles)2
• Divide tracts into 16 townships, each (6
  miles)2
• Divide townships into 36 sections, each (1
  mile)2
• Surveying
• Set monuments to split sections while surveying
  section lines
• Further subdivision occurred locally

9
Establishing Tracts (Step 1)

• Establish primary axis system (37 systems)
• Establish initial point
• Survey principal meridian (PM) as a true meridian
• Survey baseline as true parallel of latitude
• Establish secondary axes
• Survey standard parallels
• True parallels of latitude
• Spaced 24 miles along principal meridian (PM)
• Survey guide meridians
• Run true north between parallels
• Space standard corners at 24 mile intervals
• Mark closing corner next standard parallel
  (spacing lt 24 miles)

10
Principal meridian
North pole
Guide Meridians
Standard parallels
24 miles
Baseline
24 miles
11
Principal meridian
Guide Meridians
Baseline
24 miles
24 miles
Initial point
Guide Meridians
24 miles
24 miles
Guide meridians and standard parallels divide
area into nominally 24 mile ? 24 mile tracts
12
Principal meridian
Closing corner
First standard parallel north
lt 24 miles
Standard corners
Guide Meridians
24 miles
Baseline
24 miles
13
Establishing Township Exteriors (Step 2)

• Establish townships within each tract
• Survey meridians at 6 mile intervals from
  standard corners
• Survey parallels at 6 mile intervals
• Each township is nominally 6 miles square (36 sq.
  miles)
• Designation of townships
• East-west rows
• Called tiers
• Numbered north or south from baseline
• North-south columns
• Called ranges
• Numbered east or west from PM

14
Principal meridian
First standard parallel north
Guide Meridians
Baseline
Each tract is divided into 16 Townships each
nominally 6 miles ? 6 miles
15
Establishing Sections (Step 3)

• Subdivide townships into 36 sections
• Section lines at 1 mile intervals
• Section nominally 1 mile square (640 acres)
• East-west section lines are parallels of latitude
• North-south section lines are parallel to
  township boundary moving out from PM
• Effects of meridian convergence
• Placed in northernmost row and western most
  column
• Sections numbered from 1 to 36 starting in NE
  corner (end in SE corner)

16
Principal meridian
Tier 1 North, Range 1 West
Baseline
Each township is divided into 36 sections each
nominally (1 mile)2
17
Subdivision of Sections

• Quarter section corners
• Surveyed by federal surveyors while setting
  section boundaries
• Last step taken by federal government
• Smaller parcels of land established locally
• Connect quarter-section corners to form quarter
  sections (160 acres)
• Further subdivision e.g. 40 acres quarter-quarter
  sections

18
Section 14
NW ¼ NW ¼
NE ¼ NW ¼
Northeast quarter NE ¼
SW ¼ NW ¼
SE ¼ NW ¼
N ½ SW ¼
West half of Southeast quarter
E ½ SE ¼
Lot 1
Lot 2
Sections are divided into quarters and
quarter-quarters
19
Example of PLSS Description

• Examples
• The SE ¼, NW ¼, Section 14, Township 1 N, Range 1
  W, 1st PM
• E 80 acres of NE ¼ of Sec. 20, T 5 N, R 3 E,
  Michigan Prin. Mer.

20
Lost and Obliterated Corners

• Issue
• Often need to deal with missing or obliterated
  corners
• Witness points are often also missing
• Evidence (in order)
• Evidence of corner itself
• Witness points
• Fences, walls, etc. evidence of property
  occupation
• Testimony

21
Errors and Mistakes in Property Surveys

• Errors
• Distance/direction measurement
• Using indistinct corners
• Judgment in evaluating evidence
• Mistakes
• Not closing survey around parcel
• Not checking or performing adjustment of closure
• Using wrong corners
• Not checking deeds etc. for adjacent parcels

22
Readings

• Chapter 21 sections 21.1 21.6, 21.14, 21.15
• Chapter 22 sections 22.1 22.2