Boundary Determination and Retracement
Core concepts
Retracement means re-establishing original boundaries from the record, not creating new ones. Master proportional measurement, single and double proportion, and the rules for restoring lost corners versus obliterated corners. Understand the difference between a lost corner (position cannot be recovered) and an obliterated corner (evidence of original position survives). Know how to weigh parole evidence, possession, and occupation lines, and how excess/deficiency is distributed in subdivision lots.
Traps
Examiners test whether you re-set a corner by proportion when original evidence exists (you should not), and whether you treat a found monument as controlling when it conflicts with the record. Another common trap is applying double proportion to a corner that is only obliterated, not lost. Also watch for confusion between 'meander line' and boundary line along water.
Rule of thumb
Ask first: is the corner lost or obliterated? Obliterated → restore from surviving evidence. Lost → proportion. Never proportion before exhausting evidence.
Worked example
A section corner is lost. You have the four surrounding section corners. Use single proportion along each line to place the missing corner at the intersection of proportioned positions; do not simply average distances from one direction.