Recording old surveys

We don't record them here with the official records but rather file them with the county surveyor. I'd attach them or include them as extra sheets to my survey and then the narrative would explain why.

How we do it around these parts

We can only record original drawings, not copies. I had hundreds of drawings in my records (45 flat file drawers) dating from the early 1950's which I could no longer deal with. A friend volunteered to scan them for me, and I now have 3 DVD's worth of images. I have just recently talked our Recorder's office into making them available on their website as "unrecorded maps," so they should be available to those who are interested.

I like Foggy's Idea.

Here in Illinois, only the surveyor who did the plat or his official designee can legally record the plat. Not that others still don't do it, they do, in spite of the statute. But for a surveyor to record another surveyors plat without an explanation would certainly raise some eyebrows.

I like the idea of getting the old survey into the public records, or at least with a government entity like the county surveyor.

I wonder if you could attach the plat to your survey as a part of your record. It puts the plat out there into the public domain, and it is part of your plat because it was your controlling information that helped you come to your conclusions.

When I was working in Los Angeles, we had a project where the land owner came out with an old rolled up vellum survey that was done in the the early 60's but was never recorded. Seems to me that in most western states at that time frame, Recording was just a convenience but not a real requirement. After discussing the survey with the County they suggested to my boss he scan it and include it in the recorded survey as a sheet 2. He liked the idea and it was done.

http://dpw.lacounty.gov/sur/nas/landrecords/survey/RS185/RS185-047.pdf

Had a similar situation to Jered with a Hydro project. We had some maps that were recorded but were recorded before that was a requirement and were located in the General Index making them nearly impossible to find. We scanned them and added them as additional sheets to our Record of Survey with notes of explanation.

The only way I could get such a plan recorded would be to include it as an attachment to a deed.

I will file old surveys in he County Survey Records because more data availability for the surveyor can only help his client. I don't care how old they are as long as they have useful information and are typical of other surveys at the time. Few of those surveys are found without dates, compare that date with the date of filing makes it clear to all what it represents. A few years ago, the problem with filing them was the cost and effort needed to produce the reproducible copy for the master file. Scanners have solved that and filing of all surveys found should be done. Notice, I say filed, Survey Records are filed in the County Surveyors Surveying Records and not Recorded at the Clerks Office, Partition, Subdivision and Condominium Plats get Recorded and a true copy is provided for inclusion in the County Surveyor's survey Records. If I remember correctly, the filing requirement for Surveys was started in 1947, Tyler can correct me if I have the date wrong.
jud

I think you are correct, Jud. If I remember correctly, it was the same year that surveyor licensing started in Oregon. W.C. Galloway, long time Benton County Surveyor was given #1.

My county accepts just about any map showing survey corners and puts a notation on it by the County Surveyor to the effect that while the map does not meet the current map standards, it is being filed to get the information into the public record.

I would really like to get all of the old Highway Right of Way maps filed. I have found numerous ties to old monuments that do not show up any where else.

Don't know how you could get them into a flat file unless you created a book with overlapping pages, some of those maps are 24" wide and 20 feet long but I agree with you. The only way it would ever get done is for the State Legislator to require ODOT to create an achievable form of those drawing and provide the to the County Surveyor reproducible copies of the section pertaining to their county. Funding would need to be addressed to cover the cost and probably pay for the personnel to get it done correctly in a timely manor.
jud

Jud,
I know that here in the valley there have been many of the old R.O.W. maps scanned and given to the County Surveyors. But I am sure that there is a gold mine sitting out there. Yes you are right in that funding a project state wide would be a real issue.

Maybe they could hire us for 600 hours per year to do just that. Retirement with benifits!

joe

Joe,
You should be able to get records from your highway department on request (allowing enough time for them to be looked up). They are a government agency, and all of their records are viewable by the public. In my state, most of the old highway plans are scanned and available electronically. The counties might have a hard time with how to file them in a way that's retrievable, but the highway department should have the ability, filing system, and manpower to do something like that I would think.

No problem in obtaining sections of ROW maps from ODOT, they even will do some research by looking in other places than that you requested if you ask them to check. The last time I called, the data I needed was digitized and indexed, received a PDF within the hour.
jud

I just want to thank all of you who participated in this thread. I am going to have to ponder it, and consider it. I like the idea of attaching it as an additional page.
I personally would like a RED sticker to apply to them, that say NON ORIGINAL, plat, see personal letter, by recording surveyor.
Then, I can testify to the history of said plat, and so it gets a letter with it, so others can know where it came from.
Sometimes there are 3 versions of a particular plat floating around, and we should do all we can to preserve the records, we rely upon.

Again, thanks.

Nate