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More About This Title A Guide to Understanding Land Surveys, 3rd Edition
English
Over the last several decades, the Internet has allowed individuals with a non-technical background to assume more control of land surveys. But without a clear understanding of how to accurately use land survey data, and faced with the challenges of communicating specific requirements to a professional land surveyor, conflicts often arise that lead to litigation.
A Guide to Understanding Land Surveys bridges the ever-expanding communication gap between the users of land boundary information and professional land surveyors.
This indispensable guide clearly explains the functions and procedures required in every survey (routine or otherwise), and the role of a surveyor in their investigation and re-establishment. It is a must-have resource for title attorneys, paralegals, realtors, government agents, and others who rely on the information gathered and presented by land surveys.
Written in nontechnical language and supported by numerous line drawings, A Guide to Understanding Land Surveys not only helps readers gain a strong familiarity with a survey, plat, or land description, but enables them to accurately evaluate it, detect any inadequacies, and make the proper adjustments to obtain approval.
The Third Edition of A Guide to Understanding Land Surveys has been expanded with thirty percent new material and is fully updated to reflect the latest practice guidelines and technology, including the use of GPS and GIS in land boundary re-establishment. Also included is important new material on how technology should be interpreted in assessing the quality and accuracy of a land survey.
English
Stephen V. Estopinal, PLS, PE, is Senior Engineer/Surveyor at Chenevert Songy Rodi Soderberg (CSRS), an architectural, civil engineering, and program manage--ment service company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was formerly the owner of Estopinal Surveying and Engineering, Inc., in Chalmette, Louisiana, and has been in the practice of land surveying for more than forty years. A columnist for Professional Surveyor magazine, he is a frequent lecturer on surveying matters and regularly serves as an expert witness.
English
PREFACE xv
1 PURPOSE OF THE BOOK 1
2 REAL PROPERTY ON A ROUND PLANET 7
2.1. Ownership 7
2.2. Title 8
2.3. Boundaries 8
2.4. Deed 9
2.5. Identifying Boundaries 9
2.5.1. Geography 9
2.5.2. Latitude 10
2.5.3. Longitude 12
2.5.4. Astronomic Position 14
2.5.5. Geodetic Position 14
2.5.6. Flat-Earthers 15
2.6. Corners 17
3 GEOMETRY 19
3.1. Plane Geometry 19
3.2. Land Point 21
3.3. Land Line 22
3.4. Straight Land Line 23
3.5. Plumb Line 24
3.6. Level 24
3.7. Land Distances 24
3.8. Elevation 26
3.9. Land Area 27
3.10. Horizontal Angles 27
3.11. Vertical Angles 29
3.12. Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds 29
3.13. Maps or Plats 29
4 DEFINING NORTH 33
4.1. True North 33
4.2. Astronomic North 34
4.3. Magnetic North 34
4.4. Assumed North 35
4.5. Grid North 35
4.6. Directions 35
4.7. Azimuths 37
4.8. Bearings 37
5 PROJECTION SYSTEMS 43
5.1. Projectionless Map 43
5.2. Tangent Plane Projections 44
5.3. Advantages of Tangent Plane Systems 46
5.4. Disadvantages of Tangent Plane Systems 47
5.5. State Plane Projections 48
5.6. Advantages of State Plane Projections 51
5.7. Disadvantages of the State Plane Projection 52
6 FUNDAMENTALS OF MEASUREMENTS 55
6.1. Accuracy and Precision 56
6.2. Implied Precision 56
6.3. Errors 57
6.3.1. Systematic Errors 58
6.3.2. Random Errors 58
6.3.3. Blunders 58
6.4. All Measurements Include Errors 58
6.5. Reduction of Errors 59
6.6. Development of Standard Procedures 60
6.7. Colonial Period 62
6.8. Post–Civil War Period 68
6.9. Beginning of the Modern Period 69
6.9.1. Compass Rule 73
6.9.2. Transit Rule 77
6.9.3. Crandall’s Rule 77
6.9.4. Least Squares Adjustment 77
6.10. Modern Period 78
6.11. Random Traverse 80
6.12. Elevations in the Modern Period 84
6.13. Future of Surveying 86
7 LAND RECORD SYSTEMS 89
7.1. Metes and Bounds System 91
7.1.1. Reading a Metes and Bounds Description 95
7.2. U.S. Public Land System (USPLS) 102
7.2.1. Initial Point 103
7.2.2. Principal Meridian 103
7.2.3. Baseline 104
7.2.4. Township and Range Lines 105
7.2.5. Ideal Township 105
7.2.6. Ideal Section 107
7.2.7. Irregular Sections 110
7.2.8. USPLS General Instructions 111
7.2.9. Government Surveyor’s Original Notes 111
7.2.10. Nonaliquot Division of a USPLS Section 115
7.2.11. Private Claims 117
7.3. Platted Subdivision or Urban Systems 118
8 THE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) 123
8.1. Overview 123
8.2. Fundamentals 124
8.3. GPS and Land Surveys 124
8.4. CORS Networks 126
8.5. Practical Application 127
8.6. Strengths 128
8.7. Weaknesses 129
8.8. Coping with Reality 129
9 THE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) REVOLUTION 131
9.1. Building a Foundation 131
9.2. Sources of Information 132
9.3. System Maintenance 132
9.4. Potential Users 133
9.5. Potential for Misapplication 133
10 BOUNDARY RECOVERY 135
10.1. Rules of Evidence 135
10.2. Sources of Evidence 136
10.3. Office Procedure 137
10.4. Field Procedure 137
10.5. Rendering a Decision 138
10.6. USPLS Boundary Recovery 139
10.6.1. Accessories to a Corner 141
10.6.2. Recovered Corners 141
10.6.3. Deciphering Government Land Office (GLO) Notes 142
10.6.4. Passing Calls 142
10.6.5. Perpetuated Corner 143
10.6.6. Corner by Common Report 143
10.6.7. Corner Reset by Best Evidence 144
10.6.8. Corner Reset by Proportionate Measurement 144
10.7. Metes and Bounds Boundary Recovery 144
10.8. Platted Subdivision Boundary Recovery 145
11 EVALUATING SURVEY PLATS 147
11.1. Plat Evaluation Checklist 147
11.2. Determining the Land Record System Used 148
11.2.1. Recognizing a Metes and Bounds Description 149
11.2.2. Recognizing a USPLS 152
11.2.3. Recognizing Platted Subdivisions 152
11.3. Determining the Map Projection Used 153
11.3.1. Recognizing a Projectionless System 153
11.3.2. Recognizing a Tangent Plane Projection System 154
11.3.3. Recognizing a State Plane Projection System 154
11.4. Evaluating the Age of the Survey 155
11.5. Determining the Purpose of the Survey 156
11.5.1. Land Title Surveys 156
11.6. Examining the Survey for Gross Discrepancies 157
11.7. North Arrow 157
11.8. Legal Description 157
11.9. Date of the Survey 158
11.10. Name of the Surveyor 158
11.11. Signature and Seal 159
11.12. Adjoining Properties 159
11.13. Dimensions of All Sides 160
11.14. Bearing or Angles 160
11.15. Name of Client, Purpose of Survey 161
11.16. Certification 161
11.17. Limiting Words or Phrases 162
11.18. Area 162
11.19. Scale 163
11.20. Comparing the Survey Plat with the Deed 163
11.21. Examining the Survey Plat for Easements 164
11.22. Examining the Survey Plat for Encroachments 165
11.22.1. Fences and Fence Lines 165
11.23. Determining the Precision Required 168
11.23.1 “Class A. Urban Surveys” 169
11.23.2 “Class B. Suburban Surveys” 169
11.23.3 “Class C. Rural Surveys” 170
11.23.4 “Class D. Mountain and Marshland Surveys” 170
11.24. Determining Needs Not Covered in a Survey Plat 170
11.25. Contacting the Surveyor 171
12 EXERCISES IN EVALUATING SURVEY PLATS 173
12.1. The Case of the Three Partners 173
12.1.1. Conclusion 176
12.2. The Land Grabber 181
12.3. Easement Surprise 186
12.4. Excessive Problems 189
12.5. Metes Meets Bounds 192
12.6. The Square That Wasn’t There 196
13 WRITING LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS 203
13.1. Creating New Parcels 204
13.2. Existing Parcels 205
13.3. General Outline 205
13.4. The Caption 206
13.5. The Narrative 207
13.6. Key Phrases 208
13.6.1 “Commencing At” 208
13.6.2 “Point-of-Beginning” 208
13.6.3 “Thence” and “;” 209
13.6.4 “In a —ly Direction” 209
13.6.5 “-Most” 211
13.6.6 “Along” 211
13.6.7 “A Distance Of” 211
13.6.8 “To” and “To a Point” 213
13.6.9 “That Same Point” 214
13.6.10 “Point of Curvature” and “Point of Tangency” 214
13.6.11 “From Whence Bears” and “Distant” 216
13.6.12 “Encompassing an Area Of” 216
13.7. Deletions or Additions 217
13.8. References 218
14 EXERCISES IN WRITING DEED DESCRIPTIONS 219
14.1. Case 1 219
14.2. Case 2 223
14.3. Case 3 224
15 ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT 227
15.1. Confidentiality 228
15.2. Professional Courtesy 228
15.3. Impartial Evaluation 229
15.4. Promote Professionalism 229
APPENDIX OF TABLES 231
GLOSSARY 237
INDEX 245
