Back on Tuesday there was a thread about a $200 survey. Evan Page replied in there explaining the difference between a "record of survey" and a "corner record":
>The difference between a record of survey and a corner record can be slight or great, depending upon why your filing each. The RS is a full size map, as simple as showing a few lines, points, dimensions, and the statutory statements, or it can be as complicated, detailed, and as many pages as you feel is necessary to explain or show what you did. The CR is an 8 1/2 x 11 form with spaces on the front side to say who you are, what you found, and what you did. The back side is where you place your "sketch". Some CRs are as simple as stating that you found a rusted and bent iron pipe without a tag in a pile of rocks, that you set a shiny new one with a shiny new cap, and a very simple sketch showing a point representing the monument and maybe a couple lines representing property lines. Some CRs describe methods of resetting points and may have a drawing that is or looks like a complete boundary retracement, bordering on what you would expect to see on a RS.
Can someone either send me, or link me to, the requirements of a Corner Record in your code or minimum standards? I'm lazy today (actually busy on another project) and don't really want to waste time hunting for it myself if somebody and post a link quickly.
Do you have to prove the "corner" in question is an actual property corner monument or do corner records also get prepared for junk just because it happens to "look" like it might be a corner to somebody?
Thanks.
> Do you have to prove the "corner" in question is an actual property corner monument or do corner records also get prepared for junk just because it happens to "look" like it might be a corner to somebody?
I don't recommend filing a Corner Record for "junk," but you don't have to certify that the referenced monument marks a title limit. If you're not going to call it a parcel corner, be clear about what you are calling it to avoid problems in the future.
See §8773 et seq of the Business and Professions Code for the pertinent state law. Individual counties may have their own requirements, and many specify use of the BPELS form.
See section 8773 of the LS Act:
Link to LS Act:
"Do you have to prove the "corner" in question is an actual property corner monument or do corner records also get prepared for junk just because it happens to "look" like it might be a corner to somebody?"
Nope! A copy of your normal field notes is quite sufficient.
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2011 Board Rules (16 CCR §§400-476)
http://www.pels.ca.gov/licensees/boardrules.pdf
464.
Corner Record.
(a) The corner record required by Section 8773 of the Code for the perpetuation of
monuments shall contain the following information for each corner identified therein:
(1) The county and, if applicable, city in which the corner is located.
(2) An identification of the township, range, base, and meridian in which the corner
is located, if applicable.
(3) Identification of the corner type (example: government corner, control corner,
property corner, etc.).
(4) Description of the physical condition of
(A) the monument as found and
(B) any monuments set or reset.
(5) The date of the visit to the monument when the information for the corner record
was obtained.
(6) For Public Land Corners for which a corner record is required by Section 8773(a)
of the Code, a sketch shall be made showing site recovery information that was used for
the corner. For other kinds of corners, a drawing shall be made which shows
measurements that relate the corner to other identifiable monuments.
(7) A reference to the California Coordinate System is optional at the discretion of
the preparer of the record.
(8) The date of preparation of the corner record and, as prescribed by Section 8773.4
of the Code, the signature and title of the chief of the survey party if the corner record is
prepared by a United States Government or California State agency or the signature and
seal of the land surveyor or civil engineer, as defined in Section 8731 of the Code,
preparing the corner record.
(9) The date the corner record was filed and the signature of the county surveyor.
(10) A document or filing number.
(b) A corner record shall be filed for each public land survey corner which is found,
reset, or used as control in any survey by a land surveyor or a civil engineer. Exceptions to this
rule are identified in Section 8773.4 of the Code.
(c) The corner record shall be filed within 90 days from the date a corner was found, set,
reset, or used as control in any survey. The provisions for extending the time limit shall be the
same as provided for a record of survey in Section 8762 of the Code.
(d) A corner record may be filed for any property corner, property controlling corner,
reference monument, or accessory to a property corner, together with reference to record
information. Such corner record may show one or more property corners, property controlling
corners, reference monuments, or accessories to property corners on a single corner record
document so long as it is legible, clear, and understandable.
(e) When conducting a survey which is a retracement of lines shown on a subdivision
map, official map, or a record of survey, where no material discrepancies with these records are
found and where sufficient monumentation is found to establish the precise location of property
corners thereon, a corner record may be filed in lieu of a record of survey for any property
corners which are set or reset or found to be of a different character than indicated by prior
records. Such corner records may show one or more property corners, property controlling
corners, reference monuments or accessories to property corners on a single corner record
document so long as it is legible, clear, and understandable.
(f) The standard markings and standard abbreviations used by the Bureau of Land
Management (formerly the General Land Office) of the United States Department of the Interior
shall be used in the corner record.
(g) The corner record shall be filed on a form prescribed by the Board. The approved
form is BORPELS-1297.
Thanks guys! I'll give these a look over later and see if I have any more questions.
The subject has come up here before about trying to create some sort of monument preservation record/certificate that isn't really the same thing as a survey plat. We have a corner certificate rule here, but it is only for PLSS corners.
Some here want something similar for other monuments, but I think you need to be able to tell what the monument represents and you may not know that until you do an actual survey which we are required to record (So why a separate monument record?).
There is a manual put out by the California County Engineers that has examples and more information regarding corner records. It doesn't work for all counties and all interpretations of state law, but if you are trying to make up your own system, it might help:
