MD Land Surveyor key terms

A physical object, natural or artificial, placed or accepted to mark a boundary corner or survey point. Its location and character carry evidentiary weight when retracing an original survey.

Physical remains, marks, or testimony used to establish the location of an original boundary corner. Courts generally rank original monuments above measurements when the two conflict.

The first survey of a parcel or tract that created the boundaries being retraced. Its monuments and calls control later retracement work wherever they can be reliably identified.

A survey performed to reestablish or verify boundaries previously created, following the footsteps of the original surveyor rather than creating new lines or divisions.

The principle that a retracing surveyor should reproduce the methods, evidence, and reasoning of the original surveyor as closely as possible, rather than impose a new or preferred interpretation.

The assumption that a monument found in place is at the position established by the original surveyor, absent clear evidence of disturbance or fraud. It shifts the burden of proof.

A doctrine allowing a person who occupies land openly, exclusively, continuously, and hostilely for the statutory period to acquire title, potentially overriding record boundaries.

A settled boundary established when adjoining owners, uncertain of the true line, agree on a location and treat it as binding. Enforceability varies and usually requires dispute or uncertainty.

A boundary fixed by the conduct and acquiescence of adjoining owners over time, recognized in some jurisdictions even without a formal agreement or written instrument.

Passive acceptance of a boundary line or occupation by an adjoining owner over a significant period. It can support a practical location or estoppel argument.

A legal bar preventing a party from asserting a right or boundary position inconsistent with prior conduct on which another party reasonably relied to their detriment.

A boundary along a watercourse or water body. Its location depends on whether the water is navigable, the type of water, and rules governing accretion, reliction, erosion, and avulsion.

Gradual and imperceptible addition of land by natural action of water, such as silting or receding shoreline. The added land generally belongs to the riparian owner.

Land exposed when water permanently recedes by gradual, imperceptible means. Like accretion, the newly dry land typically accrues to the adjacent riparian owner.

A sudden, perceptible change in a watercourse, such as a flood cutting a new channel. Boundaries generally remain where they were before the event.

A traverse line run along a water body to compute area or depict the shore, not a boundary of the upland. It does not limit the riparian owner's title.

A boundary description method using courses, distances, and monument calls to trace the perimeter of a parcel, returning to the point of beginning.

The starting corner from which a metes and bounds description is traced and to which the traverse must close. Its location anchors the entire description.

The elements of a written boundary description, including courses, distances, monuments, and adjoiners. Courts apply rules of construction to resolve conflicts among them.

The degree to which a traverse returns to its starting point. Linear misclosure is compared against an allowable tolerance based on the survey's purpose and accuracy standard.

A survey consisting of connected courses whose lengths and directions are measured to determine coordinates of points. It may be closed, closed-loop, or open.

The difference between the sum of measured interior or exterior angles in a closed traverse and the geometrically required sum. It is distributed among angles before coordinates are computed.

A statistical method distributing measurement error across observations by minimizing the sum of squared residuals, producing adjusted coordinates and estimates of their uncertainty.

The difference between an observed value and its adjusted or computed value. Residuals reveal which measurements contributed most to misclosure.

A graphical representation of positional uncertainty at a point, derived from the covariance matrix. Its size and orientation show likely error magnitude and direction.

A direction expressed as an angle measured from a reference meridian, typically north or south, toward east or west, and stated in degrees, minutes, and seconds.

A direction measured clockwise from a reference meridian, usually north, through 360 degrees. Azimuths are often preferred in computations for their continuous sense.

A system of projected coordinates defined per state for mapping and surveying, with zones designed to limit distortion. Maryland uses zones tied to NAD83.

The angle between grid north and true north at a point, caused by map projection. It must be applied when converting between grid azimuths and geodetic directions.

The ratio between a distance on the projection grid and the corresponding distance on the reference ellipsoid. Combined with elevation factor, it yields grid-to-ground relationships.

A reference surface or framework against which positions are measured, such as a horizontal geodetic datum or a vertical datum for elevations.

A durable marked point of known elevation or position used as a reference for surveys. Its published value and stability should be verified before use.

A scaled drawing depicting boundaries, monuments, and related survey information, often recorded in land records. Recording requirements and content standards are set by law or regulation.

The filing of a survey plat or instrument in the public land records, providing constructive notice. Maryland sets requirements for what a plat must show before acceptance.

The stamp a licensed surveyor applies to work they prepared or directly supervised, certifying responsibility. Unauthorized use or sealing work outside one's competence is prohibited.

The degree of direct control and professional judgment a licensed surveyor exercises over survey work. It is required before the surveyor may sign and seal the product.

Regulatory requirements defining minimum accuracy, content, and procedures for surveys. Maryland's Board-adopted standards govern boundary, topographic, and other survey classifications.

The least acceptable accuracy, documentation, and monumentation a survey must meet under regulation. Work below these thresholds can support disciplinary action.