Beyond Boundary Lines: What Else Can Be on a Boundary Survey?

Posted on: 26 June 2017

If you are planning to subdivide your land, build a fence, sell the property or do a number of other things, you may want to get a boundary site survey. In most cases, you can look for your permanent survey markers on your own and get a decent sense of where the land is, but a professional boundary survey offers much more than that.

1. History of the Property

A boundary survey takes into account the property lines as indicated by the permanent survey markers, but it can also include historical research on the property. That may include gathering records from area registrars or parish or county offices. It may also include notations, photographs or other records from historical societies.

All of this information can help to avoid disputes in the future. If someone comes to argue that your property stopped at a different boundary marker than the ones you are using, that information can help render the dispute inaccurate.

2. Advice on Local Laws

In some cases, boundary surveys may also include advisements based on local laws. For example, if your area has laws on how far buildings need to be from property lines, the boundary survey can cover that. Similarly, if there are fire restrictions or other matters that may affect development, the surveyor can also include those details.

3. Details on Easements

Easements should also be detailed in a boundary survey. An easement is when someone else has legal access to your land or a part of your land. This can happen in a number of situations.

In a city or suburb, a property may have an easement that allows utility workers to access power lines or other essentials. In rural areas, there may be roads that cut through large properties to connect to areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.

It's important to understand these easements before taking certain actions. For instance, you may not be able to build certain types of fencing if there is an easement on a road through your property.

4. Information on Encroachments

On the flip side of the coin, an encroachment is when someone is using your property without legal authorisation. This could happen if a neighbour misjudged the property line and built a structure over the line. In that case, it may become necessary to draft a deed where the neighbour buys a small portion of the property. However, it may also be possible to have the neighbour remove the offending structure. It's also useful to have this information on your property survey.

To learn more about what boundary surveys include, contact a surveyor today.

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