after reading the post about removing your logo (when there is no such regulation), I am reminded of my attempt to bring consistency to my county planning department. After years of checking subdivision plats as county surveyor - citing only written statutes compliance/non-compliance, and watching each new planner invent their own rules as they go, for example: "Your Subdivision is rejected because the title should read "North 1/4 of the Southeast 1/4 blah blah blah", and having to explain to each new planner that "SE1/4, NW1/4, is NOT the same as "SE1/4NW1/4" , I tried something new about 2 years ago for PLSS nomenclature on subdivisions:
Since the BLM is the official steward of our PLSS, I came up with the following recommendations to my county, by referring only to the BLM Manual:
1. Each subdivision is a PART of a given section(s), not "being a portion of section.....", or, " located in section....., or, situated in section.....
2. The word "section" is always abbreviated "Sec.", not Sect, Not S, not Section, but for county purposes and looks, I recommend "Section" (looks good to lay people).
3. Numbers and fractions are only presented as arabic numerals: 3, 30, 1/2, not three, thirty, one-half.
4. Township and Range are always spelled out.
5. Principle Meridian is always abbreviated "P.M" not spelled out..
6. x county, state, not County of, State of.
For the first time in 25 years, the planner liked my idea! So, with luck and divine guidance, 20 years from now anyone can look at a typical subdivision and see the same format for the title:
xx subdivision
Part of SE1/4NW1/4 Section 12,
Township 3 North, Range 76 West, 6th P.M.
Grand County, Colorado
and, dozens of delays and infuriated surveyors and developers will be averted due to the LACK of memos stating "your plat is rejected because you did not spell out the fractions in your title".
Next, I'll try to eliminate pincushions with more consistency among surveyors accepting existing monuments around the parent tract they are subdividing........nah, impossible.
I would suggest portion of instead of part of.
If such a clear statement was made up front I would have no problem conforming to it. The 3 County Surveyors in the greater Portland area issued a style document many years ago and have updated it periodically. At least one of them has posted it on their website. What bothers me is when the comments are arbitrary.
warren ward PLS CO OK, post: 422651, member: 12536 wrote: 5. Principle Meridian is always abbreviated "P.M" not spelled out..
If you did spell out "Principle Meridian" I would hope someone would kindly suggest changing that to "Principal Meridian." :smarty:
GB
The California oddity is M.D.B.&M. even though the original Plats and Patents were M.D.M. or Mount Diablo Meridian.
I've pointed out to traditionalists that it is not necessary to write Base & Meridian because you wouldn't do a survey in the Mt. Diablo Base and Humboldt Meridian.
Doesn't seem to stick in some quarters, though.
The other big one is maps are filed, not recorded.
Dave Karoly, post: 422672, member: 94 wrote: I've pointed out to traditionalists that it is not necessary to write Base & Meridian because you wouldn't do a survey in the Mt. Diablo Base and Humboldt Meridian.
Really, is quoting the meridian even necessary? If you are in a certain county of a certain state, in a vast majority of cases, there can only be one meridian involved. It is common practice in Oklahoma is to not reference the meridian at all.
I could be mistaken, but the word "portion", or phrase "being situated in" or "being a portion of", does not appear anywhere in the manual. In the context of fractional subdivision, the phrase used is "fractional part" or "aliquot part". Using the word "part" is simple because it is not a prepositional phrase that planners can take liberties with - whom have never read or heard of the manual. using only words that are in the manual I hope will steer us towards actual surveying texts as opposed to the status quo: Planners inventing terms and holding up subdivisions while surveyors bow to unwritten regulations.
Dave Karoly, post: 422672, member: 94 wrote: The other big one is maps are filed, not recorded.
In Colorado survey plats are Deposited. Subdivisions or replats are recorded, filing is where maps are located. Also there are two meridians, not to mention a county that was a land grant which has two unofficial meridians recognised by the State Board.
In Colorado, all subdivisions are done by surveyors who must follow certain statutes, and applicable Board Rules. Board Rules require County, State, and P.M.
Mark Mayer, post: 422673, member: 424 wrote: Really, is quoting the meridian even necessary? ...
Do whatever your career can stand..... our Administrative rules..... 
I guess if you're in a gov't lot, you're already in non-compliance.....
Rankin_File, post: 422680, member: 101 wrote: Do whatever your career can stand.....
Yes, of course. Oregon has similar language in it's statutes. So in that sense it is necessary.
I have seen tons of surveys that do not mention the principal meridian because there is only one for the entire state. Similarly, although all of our townships are south, our ranges may be east or west. The south plus the appropriate east or west is stated in descriptions but are commonly left off of the plat itself. If a tract is in Wallace County it will be in a west range. If it's in Leavenworth County it will be in an east range. Only counties split by the PM are subject to the need for east and west for the ranges. Example: In the description it reads, "The Northwest Quarter of Section 16, Township 28 South, Range 20 West, Kiowa County, Kansas" but on the drawing everything is shortened to 16-28-20. It could read 16-28S-20W but everyone knows it's not 16-28S-20E because of the county it is in.
Rankin_File, post: 422680, member: 101 wrote: Do whatever your career can stand..... our Administrative rules.....
I guess if you're in a gov't lot, you're already in non-compliance.....
Oh, if only you knew,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and then there are Tracts,,,,,,,,,,and you get, "I need to know what 1/41/4 it's in"
If the parent tract is something like the south half of the northwest quarter my description will start out with something like, "A tract in the south half of the northwest quarter of.................
Incredibly, I have had title people fuss if it simply says the northwest quarter because they then must determine if it all happens to be within the confines of the parent tract. If I say it is, then they can hang me and save themselves a great deal of concern.
Mark Mayer, post: 422670, member: 424 wrote: What bothers me is when the comments are arbitrary.
I used to feel the same way. Then I came to the conclusion that I ain't preparing and recording someones subdivision plat to save the world, I'm doing it so I can retire on the beach somewhere; arbitrary comments don't bother me as long as I'm getting paid 😉
My standard contract language for subdivision plats states that the fee covers preparation, initial submittal, and addressing one round of review agency comments and only those requested revisions that are substantive in view of the statutory platting requirements. Revisions and resubmitals to address comments based on multiple rounds of agency review, or comments that are subjective on the part of the review agency will be billed hourly.
Mark Mayer, post: 422673, member: 424 wrote: Really, is quoting the meridian even necessary? If you are in a certain county of a certain state, in a vast majority of cases, there can only be one meridian involved. It is common practice in Oklahoma is to not reference the meridian at all.
In Shelby County, Alabama there are ranges East and West of the Huntsville Meridian and East of the St. Stephens Meridian.
billvhill, post: 422678, member: 8398 wrote: In Colorado survey plats are Deposited. Subdivisions or replats are recorded, filing is where maps are located. Also there are two meridians, not to mention a county that was a land grant which has two unofficial meridians recognised by the State Board.
Actually there are three meridians, 6th P.M., New Mexico P.M. and the Ute Meridian, where I am located!
Yes, I forgot about that one
