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What is a Plat: A plat is a drawing, drawn to scale, showing the division(s) of land. The drawing represents lines surveyed, retraced or resurveyed while showing the direction and length of each line, area and identification of each parcel. The plat drawing will also display the relation to adjoining official surveys, boundaries and description(s). Topography, vegetation and improvement information are sometimes included. A typical city or town plat will show subdivisions into blocks and lots with streets and alleys.
For more information on plats, see the following:
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Early in our history, the original 13 colonies donated their western lands to the new Union. Generally, this included the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River and was known as the ‘Public Land.’ Intending to raise revenue for the new government through the sale of land, the Continental Congress passed the Land Ordinance Act of 1785 which defined the original public land survey system. In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase was added to the Public Lands.
The original public land survey plats were created as a direct result of the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. They serve as fundamental legal records for real estate, as an essential resource for surveyors, and as an analytical tool for the state’s physical geography prior to European settlement. The original public land survey plats are official legal land records for Minnesota. Today virtually all real property title in Minnesota is based, directly or indirectly, upon the landmarks and records of the United States Public Land Survey System, a.k.a. the U. S. Government Survey.
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What is PLSS: The Federal government created a rectangular survey system enacted by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785, currently know as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS). This system established the notion of surveying and marking of public lands prior to the government selling this land to its citizens. All matters connected with the surveying, sales or anything related to those of public lands were control by the Department of the Treasury, General Land Office (GLO). Currently this office is know as the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
In simple terms, the PLSS system divided lands into grid-shaped townships and sections. Each township is comprised of 36 sections (six sections to a side), and each section has an area of about one square mile, or 640 acres.
Each township is identified by a township number counting north or south from a base line and a range number counting east or west from a principal meridian. The townships in St. Louis County are associated with the Fourth Principal Meridian.
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- American Land Title Association (ALTA) Survey
A survey made for the purpose of supplying a title company and lender with survey and location data necessary for the issuing of title and/or mortgage insurance. A detailed map is required to be done to “ALTA” specifications.
Specifications of this type of Survey include, but are not limited to, determining property lines, location of improvements, identifying all easements, utilities and other conditions affecting the property. Any ALTA Land Survey must meet the "Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys" as adopted by the American Land Title Association, the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, and the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
- Boundary Survey
A boundary survey identifies property corners and property lines of a parcel of land. Boundary surveys are typically performed to obtain building permits, to resolve property disputes, and for erecting fences. Easement lines may also be located, if requested, with this type of survey.
- Cadastral Survey
A survey of property boundaries. The Public Land Survey System is a cadastral survey.
- Construction Survey
Survey measurements made prior to or during construction to control elevation, horizontal position, dimensions, and configuration, exp. stakeout of line and grade for buildings, fences, roads, etc.
- Control Survey
A Land Survey providing precise locations of horizontal and vertical positions of points for use in boundary determination, mapping for aerial photographs, construction staking, or other needs.
- Court Exhibit or Judicial Survey
Analysis of various legal descriptions and survey maps; field locating of record, existing monuments, and physical features; and mapping showing this information for the purpose of presenting a visual exhibit to be used in a courtroom. In some areas of the US, this may also me known as a “Torrens” Survey of “Registered” or “Torrens” land. A “Judicial” Survey is a Land Survey ordered by the courts system, at times setting “Judicial Land Marks", also referred to as “JLM’s”. Some also may refer to these as "JM's" which stand for "Judicial Monument", or "Judicial Marker".
- Elevation or Floodplain Survey
Elevation surveys determine the elevation of various sections of a building or land. Typically these are used to aid in building plans and to determine if a property is in a flood zone.
- Geodetic Survey
A precise survey covering a large portion of the earth.
- GIS and LIS Surveying and Mapping
Surveying for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Land Information Systems (LIS).
- Hydrographic and Underwater Surveys
Collect data relating to bodies of water, and may include the water depth, bottom contours and configuration, directions and velocity of current, heights and water stages, and the location of fixed objects for navigational purposes.
- Lot Split Survey
Are needed when you may need to divide an existing parcel of land into two or more parcels. All surveys for lot splits include a plat of the new parcels and the required legal description to record the split. It is important to note the size of the original parcel as well as the size of the proposed new parcel(s) in the comments section of the request form in order to receive accurate quotes. Local subdivision requirements should always be followed.
- Lot Survey, (a.k.a. Site Plan Survey or Plot Plan Survey)
A combination of boundary and topographic surveys for preparation of a site plan to be used for designing improvements or developments, and obtaining government building permits.
- Mining and other Subsurface Surveys
A survey that determines the location and dimensions of underground parts of a mine, including the natural and artificial features of the mine, both above and below ground. These surveys are done with both vertical and horizontal control, locating the features in a three dimensional manner.
- Mortgage Inspections:
Are not used for consistent purposes in all States. They are often a product that is provided on residential loans. A drawing may or may not be provided. Be aware that many of these “Mortgage Inspections” are NOT BOUNDARY SURVEYS. Often they are required by lending institutions. Fences and other improvements should not be constructed based on a mortgage inspection. This is because boundary lines are not determined on many “Mortgage Inspections”.
- Mortgage Location Survey
These surveys are typically used by title companies and mortgage lenders to obtain proof that the major improvements on the property are free of encroachments onto neighboring properties or into recorded easements. Mortgage surveys do not establish property corners or property lines and may not be used for building purposes.
- Quantity Surveys
Obtains measurements of quantities, usually in conjunction with a construction process, earthwork, etc. Often times the Land Surveyor works closely with a Civil Engineer, Architect, or Landscape Architect.
- Record or As-Built Survey
A survey performed to obtain horizontal and or vertical dimensional data so that a constructed facility may be delineated, i.e. foundation survey, or as-built of improvements. Specifically, an As-Built Survey is a survey to physically locate structures and improvements on a parcel of land, generally for mortgage purposes. This does not always include boundary monumentation.
- Registered Land Survey (R.L.S.)
A survey of “registered” (Torrens-title) land, usually done to shorten lengthy legal descriptions, or divide larger parcels of “Torrens-title” land into smaller tracts.
- Route Survey
Reconnaissance, preliminary survey and location survey for an alignment or linear type feature such as a road, railroad, canal, pipeline or utility line.
- Subdivision Survey
Also known as a “Subdivision Plat”, it is the subdivision of a tract of land into smaller parcels, showing monumentation and mathematical survey data on a map, conforming to local Government ordinances.
- Topographic Survey
A Land Survey locating natural and man made features such as buildings, improvements, fences, elevations, land contours, trees, streams, etc. This type of survey may be required by a government agency, or may be used by Engineers and/or Architects for the design of improvements or developments on a site.
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SAINT LOUIS COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
LAND SURVEY DIVISION
COUNTY SURVEYOR'S OFFICE
2012 BUSINESS PLAN
James T. Foldesi, PE - Public Works Director/Highway Engineer
Thomas J. O'Malley, PLS - County Surveyor
Mission: To maintain the records and landmarks of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) while providing Land Surveying services for county government in Road and Bridge Construction, Subdivision Plat Approval, Resource Management, and Geographic Information Systems.
Vision:
- All Public Land Survey System corners (outside of large undevelopable areas such as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) will be monumented and certified with precise GPS coordinates.
- Survey control for road and bridge construction projects will be readily available for use in design and implementation, and will be replaced where disturbed by construction per MS 160 upon completion.
- Subdivision plat review as enabled by MS 389 and required by County Ordinances 34 and 60 will provide the necessary oversight to help protect public interest and welfare.
- Resource Managers will have the necessary location information to complete projects efficiently.
- The county's Geographic Information System parcel lines will be based on reliable survey control.
- Public and interested parties will have access to county-held survey records, including certificate of survey documents filed under the authority of County Ordinance 21.
Numerous vision-driven workflows are in place and producing positive outcomes, including providing survey control and other services for Public Works, providing timely feedback on subdivision plat review applications, providing users with reliable PLSS data where it is available, and managing survey records. Although we are making progress on county-wide PLSS remonumentation, our present pace puts completion on the distant horizon, and leads to a performance gap in areas where data is absent or unreliable. Resource managers, private sector partners, and GIS interests could greatly benefit from reliable county-wide PLSS data. The great need we see far outstrips our capacity, causing users to mitigate this information deficit with other, less desirable, less reliable substitutions such as calculated approximate corner positions.
To address these issues, management and administration should consider options including adding staff to the division, reallocating current resources, upgrading technology, streamlining workflows, and increased participation from our private and public sector partners.
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