Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8.2 Original Surveys and Retracement Surveys
Boundary surveys can be divided into two basic types: Original Boundary Surveys
and Retracement Boundary Surveys, sometimes called resurveys. Combinations of
both in one survey are possible.
Boundary surveys can be divided into two basic types: Original Boundary
Surveys and Retracement Boundary Surveys, sometimes called resurveys.
An original survey is where a parcel of land is created for the first time. For exam-
ple, Farmer Jones owns Willow Brook, a 100 acre ranch. Mr. Jones decides to con-
vey a one acre parcel of land to his daughter so that she can build a house. The
location of the proposed one acre parcel is near the middle of Mr. Jones ranch
and it will not be bounding on land belonging to one of his abutters. In effect,
after Mr. Jones conveys the parcel to his daughter, he will be the only abutter. Mr.
Jones retains a surveyor, Mr. Perambulator, P.L.S, to establish the boundaries of
the one acre parcel. Mr. Perambulator sets concrete monuments at each corner of
the new lot and draws a plan showing the metes and bounds of the lot. This par-
cel represents an original boundary survey because the property lines created as a
result of the survey and the subsequent conveyance to Mr. Jones' daughter will be
new boundary lines—lines that did not exist before the survey. An original survey
creates
boundaries.
A retracement survey or
Resurvey
is a survey that attempts to duplicate an
original survey. Let us reconsider the previous example. Suppose that Mr. Jones'
daughter acquired the one acre parcel in 1945. In 1965, twenty years later, she
decides to erect a fence along her boundaries. She wants to be sure she is erect-
ing the fence wholly on her property so she searches for the concrete monuments
set by the original surveyor but discovers they are missing. This is not an uncom-
mon occurrence, particularly on a farm where the use of agricultural machinery
over many years may damage or destroy boundary markers. As the original sur-
veyor, Mr. Perambulator, has passed on, she retains another surveyor, Mr. Hightop,
P.L.S. to set new monuments. In surveying the lot, it will be Mr. Hightop's duty
to reestablish the boundaries at their original locations—the locations established
by Mr. Perambulator in 1945. A resurvey does not establish new boundaries. It is
sometimes said that in a retracement survey the new surveyor “follows in the foot-
steps of the original surveyor”.
It is common for a survey to contain elements of an original survey and
a retracement survey. In the previous example, suppose Mr. Jones' property,
Willow Brook, was bounded on the west by an abutting property called Westlawn.
Mr. Jones' daughter would like the one acre parcel to come out of Willow Brook
where it abuts Westlawn. In effect, the west boundary of the new lot would be
common boundary between Willow Brook and Westlawn. The survey of the
