MI Land Surveyor flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Monument controls distance

In boundary retracement, an original monument called for in a deed or plat generally prevails over a stated distance or area when the monument is identifiable and undisturbed.

Lost corner

A corner whose original position cannot be recovered from physical evidence or reliable testimony; it is restored by proportionate measurement between the nearest existing original corners using record distances.

Meander line

A survey line run along a water body to determine area, not a boundary; the legal water boundary is the ordinary high water mark or thread of the stream.

Michigan adverse possession period

Michigan's adverse possession statute generally requires 15 years of open, notorious, hostile, exclusive, and continuous possession; prescriptive easements also use a 15-year period without the exclusivity element.

Riparian rights Great Lakes

Upland owners bordering the Great Lakes have rights of access, wharfing, and reasonable use, but the state holds bottomlands in trust; the boundary is the ordinary high water mark.

Prescriptive easement

A right to use another's land arising after 15 years of open, notorious, adverse, and continuous use in Michigan, without permission; unlike adverse possession, exclusivity is not required.

Practical location doctrine

A boundary established by adjoining owners' long-standing treatment and agreement, recognized in Michigan even when it differs from the deed line, if the location was known and accepted.

State plane combined factor

Combined factor equals grid scale factor times elevation factor; grid distance equals ground distance times combined factor, and ground distance equals grid distance divided by combined factor.

Geoid model

A model of the geoid, such as GEOID18, used with GNSS ellipsoid heights to compute orthometric heights: H equals ellipsoid height h minus geoid undulation N.

Differential leveling HI

Height of instrument equals backsight elevation plus backsight rod reading; a new point elevation equals height of instrument minus the foresight rod reading.

OPUS

Online Positioning User Service, an NGS utility that post-processes submitted static GNSS observations against continuously operating reference stations and returns computed coordinates and a solution report.

Real-time network

A network of continuously operating GNSS reference stations that broadcasts corrections for RTK positioning; Michigan's MSRN is an example used for survey control.

Angular traverse closure

For a closed polygon, the sum of interior angles should equal (n minus 2) times 180 degrees; the difference is angular misclosure, distributed before computing coordinates.

Compass rule

A traverse adjustment that distributes latitude and departure misclosures in proportion to line lengths; each line correction equals total misclosure times line length divided by perimeter.

Cut and fill

The vertical difference between existing ground and design grade; cut occurs where ground is above design, fill where ground is below, and stakes show the difference at an offset.

Horizontal curve tangent

Tangent distance T equals radius R times tangent of half the central angle delta; it runs from the point of curvature or point of tangency to the point of intersection.

Circular curve length

Arc length L equals radius R times the central angle delta in radians, or pi times R times delta divided by 180 when delta is in degrees.

Long chord

The straight chord from the point of curvature to the point of tangency of a circular curve; its length equals 2R sin(delta/2).

Vertical curve K value

K equals curve length L divided by algebraic grade difference A in percent; L equals K times A, and K indicates curve length per one percent grade change.

Pipe invert

The inside bottom elevation of a pipe; crown equals invert plus diameter, and pipe slope equals invert drop divided by horizontal length between points.

Michigan Land Division Act

Michigan statute, MCL 560.101 et seq., that governs subdivision plats and land divisions; it sets approval, review, and recording requirements and is implemented through local ordinances.

Preliminary plat

A proposed subdivision layout submitted for local review before the final plat; approval may be conditioned and can expire if the final plat is not filed within the required period.

Final plat recording

After local approval and required certificates, including the treasurer's tax certificate, the final plat is recorded with the county register of deeds, creating lots and rights-of-way.

Zoning setback

The minimum required distance between a building or structure and a lot line, established by zoning ordinance; a setback is not an easement and does not transfer property rights.

Detention basin

A stormwater facility that temporarily stores runoff and releases it at a controlled rate to reduce peak downstream flows; design must meet local and Michigan EGLE requirements.

Nonconforming use

A use or structure that lawfully existed before a zoning ordinance but does not meet current standards; it generally may continue but cannot be expanded without approval.

Professional surveyor seal

A licensed surveyor's seal and signature certify that the work was performed by or under the licensee's responsible charge and meets applicable legal and technical standards.

Standard of care

The degree of care and skill ordinarily exercised by reputable surveyors under similar circumstances; a breach can support a negligence claim, usually established through expert testimony.

Conflict of interest

A financial or personal interest that could impair professional judgment; it must be disclosed and avoided, especially when a surveyor might benefit from a boundary determination.

ALTA/NSPS survey

A land title survey meeting the current ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements and negotiated Table A items; it supports title insurance but is not a title guarantee.

Retention of field notes

Surveyors should retain field notes, computations, and correspondence that document the basis of surveys; these records are evidence in boundary disputes and support defensible professional decisions.

Unauthorized practice

Offering or performing land surveying without a Michigan license; unlicensed staff must work under a licensed surveyor's responsible charge, and violations can lead to penalties.