CSLB Cadastral Surveying key terms

The line that separates one parcel of real property from another or from a public way, legally fixed by the original survey, the deeds, and the intent of the parties as shown by monuments and record evidence.

A property line bordering a river, stream, or lake, where the boundary is generally the water's edge or the thread of the stream, depending on state law and whether the water is navigable.

A right held by one person to use another's land for a limited purpose, such as access or utilities, without owning it; it runs with the land and binds later owners.

A doctrine by which a person who openly, notoriously, exclusively, and continuously occupies another's land under a claim of right for the statutory period may gain legal title to that land.

A right acquired by long, open, continuous, and adverse use of another's land for a statutory period, creating a limited right of use rather than ownership of the land itself.

A written instrument that appears to convey title to land but is legally defective or invalid; occupation under it can support adverse possession or help establish the extent of a claim.

The rule that when two boundary descriptions, grants, or recorded documents conflict, the earlier grant or record generally prevails, and the later one takes subject to it.

A description that reads clearly on its face but becomes uncertain when applied to the ground, so outside evidence may be admitted to show what the parties actually intended.

A physical object, natural or artificial, placed or accepted to mark a boundary corner or line; courts generally give monuments priority over the courses and distances written in a deed.

A landmark formed by nature and used to mark a boundary, such as a river, lake, rock outcrop, or large tree; it generally controls over artificial marks and over deed distances.

A tree marked near a survey corner with a blaze, scribe, or tag to help identify and perpetuate that corner, with marks recording the bearing and distance from corner to tree.

A survey line run along the bank of a body of water to compute the area of the upland; it is not itself the boundary, because the water remains the boundary of the parcel.

A method of reestablishing a lost corner by dividing the record distance between found corners in the same proportion as the measured distance, used only when the corner is truly lost.

Indirect proof of a corner's former position, such as fence lines, old roads, occupation lines, or pits, used when the original monument is gone but traces of it remain.

The first official federal survey of public lands, which created the township, range, section, and corner positions that every later survey must follow and retrace.

The two starting reference lines of a public land survey system; the principal meridian runs north-south and the base line runs east-west, and townships are counted from them.

Grid coordinates of the Public Land Survey System: townships are numbered north or south of the base line, and ranges east or west of the principal meridian, each about six miles square.

A one-mile-square unit of the Public Land Survey System containing 640 acres, numbered 1 through 36 within a township, and the basis for most rural legal descriptions.

A parcel smaller than a regular section subdivision, created along the north and west tiers of a township or along water and reservation boundaries by the original government survey.

An east-west line reestablished at intervals of about 24 miles to correct for convergence of meridians in the Public Land Survey System; also called a correction line.

The chronological sequence of recorded documents transferring ownership of a parcel, from the original grant to the present owner, used to verify that the seller holds valid rights.

A legal description defining a parcel by its boundary courses and distances, usually starting at a point of beginning and closing back on it, often referring to monuments along the way.

A written statement in a deed or map that identifies a parcel precisely enough for a surveyor to locate it on the ground, using monuments, courses, distances, lots, or coordinates.

A map filed with the county recorder by a licensed surveyor showing the results of a boundary survey, monuments found or set, and discrepancies with record data, as state law requires.

A chronological summary of all recorded documents affecting a parcel, including deeds, liens, and easements, used to trace ownership and identify encumbrances before a purchase.

A preliminary subdivision map submitted to a local agency for review that shows lot layout, streets, and improvements; it must be approved before a final map is prepared.

The detailed subdivision map prepared after tentative approval, containing survey data, dedications, and lot lines, which is recorded after local approval so lots may be sold.

California law governing how land is divided, requiring local approval of tentative and final maps and setting standards for design, dedications, and survey accuracy.

A method of describing land by reference to a recorded subdivision map, identifying the lot number and block number shown on that map rather than by courses and distances.

A defined reference frame, including an ellipsoid and origin, from which horizontal or vertical positions are measured, such as NAD83 or NAVD88, so coordinates stay consistent across surveys.

A system of map projections dividing each state into zones so positions can be expressed as plane coordinates in feet or meters with low distortion for surveying and mapping.

A network of precisely measured points with published coordinates and elevations, used as the framework to tie local surveys to a common datum and to check accuracy.

Global Navigation Satellite System, such as GPS, which uses satellite signals to determine positions on or near the earth's surface, often with corrections to reach survey-grade accuracy.

A survey method that measures a series of connected courses and angles from a known starting point to compute coordinates of points, then closes on known work to check error.

An electronic surveying instrument combining an angle-measuring theodolite with an electronic distance meter, used to measure horizontal and vertical angles and distances to targets or prisms.

The degree of care and skill that a reasonably competent surveyor in the same community would exercise under similar circumstances, and the measure used in negligence claims.

A person licensed by the state to practice land surveying, authorized to determine boundaries, prepare maps, and set monuments, and answerable to the state board for professional conduct.