The nonsurveyor's definitive land survey sourcebook—now extensively updated 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.

Although part of nearly all real estate transactions, the land survey is one of the least understood elements in the process. Bringing together experts in commercial real estate law, title insurance, surveying, civil engineering, and lending, this is a clearly written explanation of all aspects of land surveys. Experts share their advice on critical questions to ask when reviewing a survey and address recent development in survey requirements and technology.

The only modern guide to interpreting and writing real property descriptions for surveyors Technical land information is no longer the exclusive domain of professional surveyors. The Internet now houses a multitude of resources that nontechnical professionals—such as attorneys and realtors—access and implement on a daily basis. However, these professionals are trained in aspects of law and commerce that do not provide the proper education and experience to interpret and evaluate their land boundary information discoveries correctly. As a result, their analysis is often erroneous and the data misapplied—ultimately leading to confusion and costly litigation. Professional Surveyors and Real Property Descriptions attempts to bridge the ever-widening gap between the users of land boundary information and the land surveyors who produce it. An expert team of authors integrates the historic and legal background of real property interests with fundamental concepts of the surveying profession in a manner accessible for average readers. These provide the basics for both properly comprehending older descriptions and competently constructing complete and modern real property descriptions that foster better communication. Highlights in this book include: An in-depth exploration of historic descriptions and how to read them Coverage of the widely accepted ALTA/ACSM Land Boundary Survey standards and associated property descriptions A diverse collection of examples and practice scenarios An overview of the latest issues related to the use of GPS and GIS Written in easy-to-understand language, this practical resource assists nontechnical professionals in understanding exactly what a surveyor does and does not do, and serves as a valuable tool for obtaining the most satisfactory, accurate, and complete real property descriptions.

This is a book about boundary surveying. It is written for anyone who is interested in how surveys are performed. The book is also for land surveying students who are interested in developing an overall view of how land surveyors go about surveying a parcel of land. It will provide the reader with a background on boundary surveying techniques and some of the common legal issues which govern boundary establishment. The book is designed to acquaint people who are not land surveyors with the principles used by land surveyors to establish boundary lines. The information in this book will be useful to home owners, real estate agents, attorneys, engineers, city planners, building officials, students, bankers, title researchers, GIS practitioners and others. I hope this book will be an important resource for those who have questions relating to boundaries and land surveying in general. There is an enlarged second edition of this book available.

CONCISE, IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE COMPLEX ISSUES OF EASEMENTS AND THEIR REVERSION The definition, use, defense, and retirement of easements are areas of active work for land surveyors, lawyers, and the holders and buyers of easements, such as utility companies and highway departments. Easements Relating to Land Surveying and Title Examination is the most up-to-date reference that succinctly and incisively covers easements and reversions, written for land surveyors and title examiners. This comprehensive guide covers the various forms of easements, their creation, reversion, and termination. Its numerous case studies offer examples of situations in which easements resulted in litigation and reveal how these cases were decided by the courts. The book also includes coverage of undescribed easements and guidance on how to properly write new easement descriptions. This useful, practical handbook: Defines easements and easement terminology Covers both right-of-way and right-of-way line easements Explains the creation of easements by express grant, reservation or exception, agreement or covenant, implication, estoppel, custom, and more Explores all types of easement termination, including expiration, release, merger of title, abandonment, prescription or adverse possession, and many others Provides thorough descriptions of problem easements, from undescribed and blanket easements to hidden and rolling easements Offers extensive coverage of reversion of easements, including highway-related reversions and rules for locating and defining reversions Presents detailed information for land surveyors and title examiners on how to handle these easement issues

The classic reference, expanded and updated to include the latest technologies and laws This new edition of Brown's Boundary Control and Legal Principles — the classic reference to boundary law for property surveying—has been updated and expanded to reflect ongoing changes in surveying technology and surveying law. Professional surveying practices continue to evolve, and this Seventh Edition includes all the necessary information to navigate the complex, evolving area of boundary law. Improving upon its usefulness for both professionals and students alike, this Seventh Edition features: Updated case law and examples throughout Recent changes in boundary law New chapter on riparian and littoral boundaries by water boundary expert George Cole A new appendix listing surveying books referenced in court cases and legal decisions The latest innovations in surveying technology This must-have reference to surveying and geodesy features a wealth of case studies on federal and state nonsectionalized land surveys demonstrating real-world examples of covered material. Brown's Boundary Control and Legal Principles, Seventh Edition is an essential reference tool for professional surveyors studying for state surveying licensing, students, and attorneys in real estate and land law.

Guidelines for Surveying Soil and Land Resources promotes the development and implementation of consistent methods and standards for conducting soil and land resource surveys in Australia. These surveys are primarily field operations that aim to identify, describe, map and evaluate the various kinds of soil or land resources in specific areas. The advent of geographic information systems, global positioning systems, airborne gamma radiometric remote sensing, digital terrain analysis, simulation modelling, efficient statistical analysis and internet-based delivery of information has dramatically changed the scene in the past two decades. As successor to the Australian Soil and Land Survey Handbook: Guidelines for Conducting Surveys, this authoritative guide incorporates these new methods and techniques for supporting natural resource management. Soil and land resource surveyors, engineering and environmental consultants, commissioners of surveys and funding agencies will benefit from the practical information provided on how best to use the new technologies that have been developed, as will professionals in the spatial sciences such as geomorphology, ecology and hydrology.

The Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook specifies methods and terminology for soil and land surveys. It has been widely used throughout Australia, providing one reference set of definitions for the characterisation of landform, vegetation, land surface, soil and substrate. The book advocates that a comprehensive suite of land and soil attributes be recorded in a uniform manner. This approach is more useful than the allocation of land or soil to preconceived types or classes. The third edition includes revised chapters on location and vegetation as well as some new landform elements. These updates have been guided by the National Committee on Soil and Terrain, a steering committee comprising representatives from key federal, state and territory land resource assessment agencies. Essential reading for all professionals involved in land resource surveys, this book will also be of value to students and educators in soil science, geography, ecology, agriculture, forestry, resource management, planning, landscape architecture and engineering.