The Connecticut Surveyor July 2015 Volume 20, Issue 7 Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors 78 Beaver Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109 Gary Kent to Speak on the Judicial Role of Surveyors a the Annual Meeting Mark your calendar so that you don’t miss this opportunity to attend a very informative presentation given by a Nationally recognized speaker as well as several other great presenters. The keynote speaker at the CALS 48th Annual Meeting will be Gary Kent. Mr. Kent is Director of Surveying at The Schneider Corporation, a 42-year-old consulting firm based in Indianapolis providing solutions in surveying, GIS, 3D graphics, architecture, and civil, municipal and transportation engineering. A past-president of both ACSM and the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors, Gary has a BS degree in Land Surveying from Purdue University and is registered to practice surveying in Indiana and Michigan. He is chair of both the NSPS/ACSM committee and the ALTA committee on the ALTA/ACSM Standards. He currently sits on the Indiana State Board of Registration for Land Surveyors and is also a member of the adjunct faculty at the Purdue campus in Indianapolis where he teaches Land Survey Systems, Legal Descriptions, Boundary Law and Property Surveying. Inside this issue: Other guest speakers will include Jim O’Shea, Achievement Unlimited of Common Research Mistakes 2 Connecticut, Executive Business Coach; Kari Olson, law firm of Professional Development 3 Murtha-Cullina, Customer Service; John Carbone, MW Financial, Business Protection, Succession and Survival, and John Doody, L.S., P.E., Adverse Possession Seminar 4 Professional Development. CALS Annual Book 5 CALS Golf Outing 6 CALS Auxillary 8 www/ctsurveyors.org email: [email protected] CALS Annual Meeting 9 tele. 860-563-1990 Hiking Trails in Connecticut 10 CT/MA/RI Boundary 12 Classified 14 Vol. 20, Issue 7 The Connecticut Surveyor Page 2 Common Research Mistakes Surveyors Make (Road Records) By Knud E. Hermansen† P.L.S., P.E., Ph.D., Esq. n previous articles I have explained two of the five common mistakes made by surveyors in Beginning 2 rods from Samuel researching the records. In the first article I I Widman’s pasture fence at the discussed mistakes made in determining senior title. In turnpike road, thence through Eze- the second article I explained the deficiency existing kiel King’s land, N20°E 25 rods to a when a forward search is omitted. The third of five stake; thence N36°E, 120 rods to a stake; thence N48°E 90 rods to common mistakes often made by surveyors when Jacob Denton’s sawmill lane… To researching the records is the failure to research the be opened at four rods. 12 June road records. 1834. Researching road records is not so much a matter of Surveyors often omit searching for road records even following a particular procedure as employing dogged though their property is bounded by a public road. determination and fortitude. Even if a search of road records is conducted, a surveyor will often fail to find the appropriate road The failure to search for and locate the appropriate records. road record often results in the surveyor failing to properly fix the width of the road and thereby causing Road records are particularly difficult records to the client or other landowners to mistakenly build in research for three reasons: 1) First, road records are the public right of way. not always found where other property records are recorded. Road records are often found in municipal Describing typical weaknesses in the surveyor’s record offices, department of transportation offices, court search will not necessarily convince surveyors to records, county commissioner records, and even state undertake the tedious and time consuming research archives or other historical archives. The location of necessary to overcome the limitations that were road records often depend on the manner the roads explained. were created (e.g., dedication, condemnation), the type of road (e.g., municipal, county, state) and age of the Knowledge of the deficiencies should allow the road. 2) The second difficulty arises because there is surveyor to inform the client that these deficiencies in seldom an index to help locate the appropriate road the research exist at the completion of services. Should record among the plethora of government documents the client want to compensate the surveyor for the time that exist. 3) The third difficulty is the trouble in to perform a thorough search, these limitations can be identifying a particular road from the ancient overcome. description often used when describing roads found in the records. In other words, when a road record is discovered and read, the reader often finds it difficult † Knud is a professor in the surveying engineering if not impossible to identify what road is described and technology program at the University of Maine. He offers consulting services in the area of boundary litigation, title, where the road exists on the face of the earth using the easements, land development, and alternate dispute ancient description. Consider how difficult it would be resolution. to locate the following road if knowledge of the area has been lost with the passage time. Don’t stop when you are tired; stop when you are done. Vol. 20, Issue 7 The Connecticut Surveyor Page 3 Professional Development Three Rivers Community College CIV 150/151 Surveying I with Lab (4.5 credits) Classes begin August 31, 2015 In-state tuition (approx.) $850 Three Rivers Community College Civil Engineering Technologies Department is offering Surveying I for the Fall 2015 semester. The class meets M/W 2-5pm and includes weekly lab activities. The course is an introduction to survey field procedures and modern equipment, including total stations, levels, and GPS. Students will establish and run a conventional traverse and learn to perform all of the reductions utilizing a basic calculator. Please contact the instructor, Kevin Franklin, to register or for more information at [email protected]. ALTA Land Title Survey Requirements The American Land Title Association (ALTA) was founded in 1907 and is the national trade association and voice of the abstract and title insurance industry whose members search, review and insure land titles to protect home buyers and mortgage lenders who invest in real estate. ALTA and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), now the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) established the first set of Standard Detail Requirements for Survey drawings in 1964. These instructions were established to nationally standardize the requirements for survey drawings that were to be used for ALTA loans. Updates to the requirements often occur every four-to-six years. The last recent revision took place in 2011 in conjunction with NSPS. Notable changes implemented included: Requirement to reference a title report on the Certificate of Survey Requirement to include Standard ALTA Certification Greater attention to offsite easements and servitudes Additions to the Table A items for Optional Survey Responsibilities and Specifications. A current revision will be complete in late 2015. Gary Kent, chair of the NSPS committee on the ALTA Standards has agreed to come to Connecticut on April 19, 2016, and present a full day seminar on these new changes. Reservation forms will be available in the spring but seating will be limited. You can reserve your seat now by calling the CALS office. Don’t stop when you are tired; stop when you are done. Vol. 20, Issue 7 The Connecticut Surveyor Page 4 Professional Development Surveyor and legal expert Kris Kline will teach a comprehensive first-time-ever course on Adverse Possession in Connecticut. This unprecedented tutorial will cover important information that all land surveyors need to know. Contrasts will be pointed out between Connecticut and other states. Plats will be introduced, showing encroachments and ‘occupations’ that went to court. All surveyors should be knowledgeable about this complex area of law, but no Connecticut-specific course has ever been offered. Please don’t miss this important one-time-only opportunity. Friday, September 11, 2015 ITBD CCSU, New Britain, CT Watch for a registration form this summer. Don’t stop when you are tired; stop when you are done. Vol. 20, Issue 7 The Connecticut Surveyor Page 5 CALS 2016 Annual Reference Book PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY! The Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors is currently preparing the 2016 Annual Reference Book. This is the best opportunity for your company to have an advertisement placed before the surveying community for the entire year. Our advertising rates are nominal compared to the impact your ad or professional listing will have year round. To keep your name before the Connecticut Surveying Community, fill out and return the order form below and send it along with your advertisement and payment today. ***ALL ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY AUGUST 15, 2015*** ORDER FORM SIZE OF AD B&W B&W COLOR INSIDE TOTAL FRONT OR CALS MEM- NON- BACK COVER BER MEMBER FULL PAGE $375.00 475.00 +100.00 +100.00 HALF PAGE $275.00 375.00 +100.00 N/A QUARTER PAGE $225.00 325.00 +100.00 N/A BUSINESS CARD $100.00 200.00 +100.00 N/A NAME PHONE COMPANY ADDRESS AD SIZE TOTAL ENCLOSED $ MASTER CARD/VISA # EXPIRATION DATE Don’t stop when you are tired; stop when you are done. Vol. 20, Issue 7 The Connecticut Surveyor Page 6 CALS 2015 Golf Outing You could not have asked for a better day than what we enjoyed on June 24th at the CALS Annual Golf Outing. This year we decided to try a new course and we went to Timberlain Golf Club in Berlin, CT. The people could not have been nicer, the course was in great shape, and the food for the awards dinner was awesome.