LAND SURVEYING & ZONING COMMON TERMS

ANDACRONYMS GUIDE

P. O. Box 1394 Norman, OK 73070

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COMMON TERMS &

ACRONYMS

ACSM See American Congress on Surveying and Mapping

ALTA See American Land Title Association

Abstract of Title A condensed history or summary of all recorded transactions affecting a particular tract of land.

Abutter One whose property abuts, is contiguous, or joins at a border or boundary.

Acceleration Clause

Specifies conditions under which the lender may advance the time when the entire debt that is secured by the mortgage becomes due. For example, many mortgages contain provisions that the note shall become due immediately upon the sale of the securing land without the lender’s consent or upon failure of the landowner to pay an installment when due.

Access

The right to enter and leave a tract of land from a public way; often times, the right to enter and leave over the lands of another.

Accessory Use Accessory uses are land uses within a property that are, in addition to the parcel’s principal use,

customary, appropriate, subordinate, incidental to, and serve the principal use.

Accretion The slow build up of lands by natural forces such as wind, water, or wave.

Acknowledgment The act by which a party executing a legal document goes before an authorized officer or notary public and declares the same to be his voluntary act and deed. This is often times the act of the officer or notary public.

Acre A tract of land 208.71 feet square and containing 43,560 square feet of land, in whatever shape.

ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal regulation were intended to protect the civil rights of Americans with physical or other disabilities. The ADA was adopted in 1991 by Congress with the intent of providing equal and open access to all public facilities.

Administrator

A person appointed by a probate court to settle the affairs of an individual dying without a will.

Adverse Possession A claim made against the lands of another by virtue of open and notorious possession of said lands by the claimant.

Aerial Having to do with or done by aircraft.

Aerial Survey An on the ground survey, a framework of identified points is necessary before detailed mapping from aerial photographs and images begins. Typically, a vertically aligned camera takes photographs in a series of strips in which each picture overlaps about 60 percent of the preceding one; adjacent strips overlap only slightly. Aerial survey uses

include development of vacant land, drainage patterns, street planning, and airport obstruction areas.

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A-key A secret, 64-bit pattern stored in the mobile station used in the mobile station authentication process. It is used to generate/update the mobile station's Shared Secret Data.

Aliquot The description of fractional section ownership used in the U.S. public land states that generally identifies the section, township, and range. The origin of the word is from the Greek, meaning “even.” This implies that the land is always known as, and even with, the perimeter of its boundary.

American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM)

Founded in 1941, this society’s goal is to better coordinate surveying and mapping activities. Today, ACSM has more than 7,000 member surveyors, cartographers, geodesists, and other spatial data information professionals working in both public and private sectors throughout the world.

American Land Title Association (ALTA) A national association of title insurance companies, abstractors and attorneys specializing in real property law that speaks for the title insurance and abstracting industry and establishes standard title policies and procedures, with headquarters in Washington, D.C.

American Planning Association (APA) The leading professional organization in the United States representing urban planners and their communities.

Amortize To reduce debt by means of regular periodic payments of amounts applicable to both principal and interest.

Anchor Tenants

A large carrier or service provider that attracts other businesses to a tower location.

Approved Attorney

An attorney approved by a title insurance company as one whose opinions of title will be accepted by the company and relied upon for the issuance of title insurance policies.

Appurtenance Anything so annexed to land or used with it that it will pass with the conveyance of the land.

Appurtenant Easement An easement that will affect other properties. Examples would be; an easement for ingress and egress, parking, storm drains or utilities.

Area Coordinates A system of laying out a survey on the x-axis or east-west and y-axis or north-south.

Arpent The unit of length and area used in France, Louisiana, and Canada. As a unit of length, approximately 191.8 feet. The square arpent is a unit of area, approximately 0.85 acres.

As-Built Survey Surveys to show the property's improvements in relationship to the boundary.

Assessment The imposition of tax, charge or levy, usually according to the established rates.

Assessor A public official who evaluates property for the purpose of taxation.

Assignee

One to whom a transfer of interest is made. For example, the assignee of a mortgage or contract.

Assignor One who makes an assignment. For example, the assignor of a mortgage or contract.

Astronomic Meridian An orientation to Polaris by means of a star or sun shot. Also referred to as true north.

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Assumption of Mortgage An obligation undertaken by the purchaser of land to be personally liable for payment of an existing note secured by a mortgage. As between the lender and the original borrower, the original borrower, remains liable on the mortgage note.

Attachment The legal seizure of property to force payment of a debt.

Attorney in Fact One who holds a power of attorney from another allowing him to execute legal documents such as deeds, mortgages, etc. on behalf of the grantor of the power.

Authentication A procedure used by base stations to validate a mobile station's identity at system access.

Avulsion The sudden movement of soil from one property to another as a result of a flood or a shift in the course of a boundary stream.

Azimuth A direction using a 360-degree circle at due north and increasing in a clockwise manner.

BTS

Build-to-suit

Balls Surveyor’s slang for the numeric value .00, e.g., 4-balls (4.00).

Bankrupt

A person or entity who, through a court proceeding, is relieved from the payment of all his debts after surrender of all his assets to a court appointed trustee.

Bearing

A direction using the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest quadrants of a 360-degree circle. Zero is located at the due north and due south while due east and west are assigned 90 degrees. A bearing cannot be greater than 90 degrees.

Bench Mark A permanent point, the elevation of which above some definite or assumed datum, is known.

Beneficiary (of a Trust) A person designated to receive some benefit from the trust estate.

Binder or Commitment An enforceable agreement that upon satisfaction of the requirements which are stated in the binder the insurer will issue the specified insurance policy subject only to the exceptions stated in the binder. A binder sets forth status of title as of a particular date.

Bond (1) An insurance agreement under which one party becomes surety to pay, within stated limits, financial loss caused to another by specified acts or defaults of a third party; (2) An interest bearing security evidencing a long-term debt, issued by a government or corporation, and sometimes secured by a lien on property.

Boundary Every separation, natural or artificial, which marks the lines of division of two adjoining properties.

Boundary Resolution The boundary lines and corners of any property being surveyed as part of an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey shall be established and/or retraced in accordance with appropriate boundary law principles governed by the set of facts and evidence found in the course of performing the research and fieldwork.

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Boundary Survey

Survey made to establish or reestablish a boundary line on the ground, or to obtain data for constructing a map or plat showing a boundary line.

Bounds The external boundary lines, or limiting lines, of property.

Building Code A collection of regulations adopted by a city to govern the construction of buildings.

Building (Restriction) Line or Set Back A line fixed at a certain distance from the front and/or sides of a lot or at a certain distance from a road or street, which line marks the boundary of the area within which no part of any building may project. This line may be established by a filed plat or subdivision, by restrictive covenants in deeds or leases, by building codes or by zoning ordinance.

Bulk Regulations These regulations control the size and layout of structures, including regulations as to open space, lot lines, maximum building height, and maximum floor area ratio.

Bureau of Land Management The branch of the federal government in charge of surveying public lands.

Burn Surveyor’s slang. See shoot.

COGO See Coordinate Geometry

Cadastral Surveying Survey relating to land boundaries made to create units suitable for title transfer or to define the limitations of title.

Call Found in the deed description and normally contains a direction, distance, adjoiners, and reference trees. (See metes and bounds.)

Carrier In the telecommunications industry, a carrier is a telephone or other company that sells or rents telecommunication transmission services.

Cash Flow A measure of a company's financial health. Equals cash receipts minus cash payments over a given period of time; or equivalently, net profit plus amounts charged off for depreciation, depletion, and amortization.

Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) These certificates approve work done on buildings within the historic district. Everything that can be seen from outside the house, including windows, doors, paint colors, materials, rooflines, gutters, fences and yards must receive a COA confirming that it is appropriate and acceptable.

Certificate of Occupancy (CO) A certificate of occupancy serves three purposes: (1) what the structure is used for; (2) that the structure is suitable for occupancy; and (3) that the structure complies with all building codes.

Certificate of Title An attorney’s written opinion that ownership of the particular parcel of land is, as stated, in his certificate.

Chain Unit of length usually understood to be either the engineer’s or Gunter’s chain. The name comes from the heavy metal chain of 100 links that surveyors used to measure property bounds. (See Gunter’s chain)

Chain of Title The successive conveyances, or deeds, affecting a parcel of land.

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Clear Title Good title of deed, clear from any defects or limitations.

Closing (1) The process by which all the parties to a real estate transaction conclude the details of a sale or mortgage. The process includes the signing and transfer of documents and distribution of funds. (2) A condition in the description of real property by courses and distances at the boundary lines where the lines meet to include all the tract of land.

Closure The degree to which a figure closes, i.e., when the end point matches the beginning point on a survey.

Cloud on Title A claim or encumbrance that could affect or impair the ownership of a particular parcel.

Co-tenancy Ownership of the same interest in a particular parcel of land by more than one person.

Coaxial Cable A cable consisting of a conducting outer metal tube enclosing and insulated from a central conducting core, used for high-frequency transmission of telephone, telegraph, and television signals. Also called coaxial line.

Coinsurance Insurance in which more than one insurer shares a part of a single risk. Insurance with another of a risk. Coinsurance is usually affected by separate contracts of insurance by separate companies, each of which undertakes a fractional part of the whole risk.

Collateral Marketable real or personal property that a borrower pledges as security for a loan. In mortgage transactions, specific land is the collateral.

Collocation (also colocation) The mounting or installation of an antenna on an existing tower, building, or structure for the purpose of transmitting and/or receiving radio frequency signals for communications purposes.

Commitment to Insure A report issued by a title insurance company, or its agent, showing the condition of the title and committing the title insurance company to issue a form policy as designated in the commitment upon compliance with and satisfaction of requirements set forth in the commitment.

Community Property A category of property, existing in some states, in which all property (except property specifically acquired by husband or wife as separate property) acquired by a husband and wife, or either, during marriage, is owned in common by the husband and wife.

Comprehensive Plan Also known as a general plan, mater plan or land-use plan, is a document designed to guide the future actions of a community. It presents a vision for the future, with long-range goals and objectives and for all activities that affect the local government.

Condemnation Taking private property for public use through court proceedings.

Conditional Use These uses are permitted on a permanent basis within a district so long as the governing body’s conditions are met. These uses require conditions because without them, they could negatively impact the parcel of bordering properties. Permits for conditional uses are given at the discretion of the governing body.

Conditional Use Permit A permit granted to a property owner to make use of real property in a manner allowed under current zoning regulations, but only in accordance with conditions to be applied by the zoning authority.

Conditions and Restrictions A common term used to designate the uses to which land may not be put and providing penalties for failure to comply. Commonly used by land sub-dividers on newly platted areas.

Condominium A system of individual fee ownership of units in a multi-unit structure, combined with joint ownership of common areas of the structure and land.

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Conservator

A person appointed by the court to protect and preserve the lands and property of an individual physically incapacitated or otherwise not able to handle his own affairs.

Contract Agreement to sell and purchase under which title is withheld from the purchaser until such time as the required payments to the seller have been completed.

Control Points Points that have been established in a series with a high degree of accuracy or precision, to which parcels may be tied.

Contour

Imaginary line on the ground, all points of which are at the same elevation above or below a specific datum.

Convey The act of deeding or transferring title to another.

Conveyance An instrument by which title to property is transferred; a deed.

Cooperative A residential multi-unit building owned by and operated for the benefit of persons living within.

Coordinate Geometry (COGO) The mathematical system of geometry used by surveyors to establish and calculate coordinate values.

Coordinates The linear and (or) angular quantities that designate the position of a point in relation to a given reference frame.

Corner The beginning or end point of any survey line. The term corner does not imply the property was in any way square. A corner can be natural (i.e., creek, river, ridge) or artificial (i.e., set stone, fence corner, iron pipe).

Corner Tree

Called for in the deed description and normally marked with three hacks or notches where the line enters and exits the tree.

Course The direction of a line with reference to the meridian.

Covenant An agreement written into deeds and other instruments promising performance or non-performance of certain acts, or stipulating certain uses or non-uses of the property.

Critical Mass The point at which enough action has occurred for a fundamental change to take place; the point where the industry becomes a driving force for global change.

Cul-de-sac The terminus of a street or alley.

Data Collector

An electronic instrument used to collect data from the field.

Data Rate

Maximum number of information bits that can be transmitted per second.

Datum A reference system for computing or correlating the results of surveys. The principal types of datum are vertical and horizontal.

Declination The angle formed by the difference between magnetic north and true north.

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Deed A signed and usually sealed document or writing which conveys some legal transfer, bargain, or contract from one party to another.

Deed Bust An error or series of errors, which causes the ending point of the calls in a description not to close back to the beginning point. A few examples of what might cause the deed bust include poor distance or bearing measurements, typographical errors, distances measured slope rather than horizontal, calls in a description having magnetic meridians measured at different times, transposed numbers, and calls being omitted or in the wrong order.

Deed of Trust A conveyance of a land title by a maker of a note (the debtor) to a third party, a trustee, as collateral security for the payment of the note with the condition that the trustee shall re-convey the title to the debtor upon payment of the note, and with power in the trustee to sell the land and pay the note in the event of a default on the part of the debtor.

Deficiency Judgment A judgment against a person liable for the debt secured by a mortgage in an amount by which the funds derived from a foreclosure or trustee’s sale are less than the amount due on the debt.

Delivery The final and absolute transfer of a deed from seller to buyer in such a manner that the seller cannot recall it.

Density The amount of development allowed per acre, and typically calculated by the number of dwelling units per acre (for residential) or floor area ration (for commercial).

Departure With the north-south line being the latitude of a survey, the east-west line is called the departure.

Devise The disposition of land by will.

Discount Points The amount of money the borrower or seller must pay the lender to get a mortgage at a stated interest rate. This amount is equal to the

difference between the principal balance on the note and the lesser amount which a purchaser of the note would pay the original lender for it under market conditions. A point equals one percent of the loan.

Double Nickel Surveyor’s slang for the numeric value .55, e.g., 6-double nickel (6.55).

Dower An estate for life to which a married woman by statute is entitled on the death of her husband. In most states it is a life estate of one third of the value of all land which the husband owned during their marriage. Dower has been abolished by statute in some states. The reason for requiring a wife’s joining in the deed of any land by her husband is the release of her dower right.

Drones Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), otherwise known as “drones”, have been introduced to the land surveying industry. These small, ultra-light weight aircraft can be piloted by remote and can take detailed survey information while simultaneously transmitting that data back to the head office. This creates highly accurate maps and provides valuable data to companies and individuals who are considering major projects on large areas of land.

EDM See Electronic Distance Meter

ERP See Effective Radiated Power

EDGE See Enhanced Data GSM Environment

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Earnest Money This is an advance payment of part of the purchase price a buyer gives with an offer to purchase property. Also called a deposit.

Easement Right of use over the property of another. This right may be created by grant, reservation, agreement, prescription, or necessary implication, which one has in the land of another. It is either for the benefit of land (appurtenant), such as right to cross A to get to B, or "in gross" such as a public utility easement.

Economic Development The development of economic wealth of countries, regions or communities for the well-being of their inhabitants. From a policy perspective, economic development can be defined as efforts that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community by creating and/or retaining jobs and supporting or growing incomes and the tax base.

Egress

The right to leave a tract of land.

Electromagnetic Radiation Waves of electric and magnetic energy moving together (i.e., radiating) through space at the speed of light. Taken together, all forms of electromagnetic energy are referred to as the electromagnetic spectrum.

Electronic Distance Meter An electronic distance meter (EDM) is an instrument, which bounces either infrared light or a laser beam off a reflector to measure a distance.

Elevation The vertical distance of a point above or below a reference surface or datum. E-mail (Electronic Mail) Messages, usually text, sent from one person to another via computer. E-mail can also be sent automatically to a large number of addresses (Mailing List).

Eminent Domain The power to take private property for use where the public interest can best be served.

Encroachment Improvements or uses that extend across a property or easement line without written permission.

Encumbrance A lien, liability or charge upon a parcel of land.

Endorsement A form issued by the insurer at the request of the insured, which changes term(s) or item(s) in an issued policy or commitment.

Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) A faster version of the Global System for Mobile (GSM) wireless service.

Equity (1) The interest or value which an owner has in real estate over and above the debts against it; (2) A type of court of record.

Equity Participation

A type of mortgage transaction in which the lender, in addition to receiving a fixed rate of interest on the loan, acquires an interest in the borrower’s land and shares in the profits derived from the land.

Errors and Omissions Insurance

A policy that pays for any mistakes a surveyor or other covered professional makes in a project.

Escheat

A reversion of property to the state in those cases where an individual dies without heirs or devisees and without a will.

Escrow

A procedure whereby a disinterested third party handles legal documents and funds on behalf of a seller and buyer.

Estate The total assets of a person, including real property, at the time of death.

Examination of Title

The interpretation of the record title to real property based on the title search or abstract.

Exception In legal descriptions that portion of lands to be deleted or excluded.

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Exception to Coverage The second part of a title commitment. A list of items that could be encumbering to the property that are known to the title company. This is part of the “Schedule B” of the title commitment.

Exclusive Access Easement

This is an easement to allow access to a property such as a driveway for access to a public road, highway or utility access.

Executor A person appointed by the probate court to carry out the terms of a will.

FEMA

See Federal Emergency Management Agency

FHA See Federal Housing Administration

FHLMC (Freddie Mac) See Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

FNMA See Federal National Mortgage Association

Fannie Mae See Federal National Mortgage Association

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

An independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. Founded to reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation's critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, an affiliate of the Federal Home Loan Bank, which creates a secondary market in conventional

residential loans and in FHA and VA loans by purchasing mortgages from members of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Home Loan Bank system.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Federal Housing Administration, an agency of the federal government which insures private loans for financing of new and existing housing and for home repairs under government-approved programs.

Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae)

A federally sponsored, private corporation which provides a secondary market for housing mortgages.

Fee Simple Absolute ownership (of land) with unrestricted rights of disposition.

Field Notes Accumulation of measurements and observations gathered by field crew.

Filed Plan Drawing of plan, showing all vital data gained during a survey, which has been filed in the registry of deeds.

Financing Statement A document prepared for filing with the Register of Deeds or Secretary of State indicating that personal property or fixtures is encumbered with a debt.

First Station See Point of Beginning

Fixtures Any item of personal property so attached to real property that it becomes a part of the real property.

Flood Hazard Classification for any area determined to be within a high risk of flooding.

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Flood Plain Belt of low, flat ground bordering a stream channel that is flooded when runoff exceeds the capacity of the stream channel.

Flood Zone

An area that has been carefully studied by the government to determine the probability of flooding due to intensive storms or, along the

coast, severe tidal conditions. Flood zones are designated to specify the probability and frequency of anticipated flood conditions and range in severity from areas of minimal flooding to those where flooding would be frequently expected to occur.

Floor Area Ration (FAR) The relationship between the total amount of usable floor area that a building has, or has been permitted for the building, and the total area of the lot on which the building stands. This ratio is determined by dividing the total, or gross, floor area of the building by the gross area of the lot.

Foreclosure Legal process by which a mortgage of real property is deprived of his interest in that property due to failure to comply with terms and conditions of the mortgage.

Freddie Mac See Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation

Frontage The front of a building or lot.

GIS See Geographical Information System

GNMA See Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)

GPS See Global Positioning System

General Plan See “Comprehensive Plan”

General Warranty Deed A deed containing a covenant whereby the seller agrees to protect the buyer against being dispossessed because of any adverse claim against the land.

Geodetic Marker A survey marker placed by the government in either a horizontal or vertical plane.

Geographical Information System (GIS) A system that stores information per geographical region.

Ginney Surveyor’s slang for a wooden dowel 6-9 inches in length with a sharpened end. Set in the ground to mark survey points.

Ginnie Mae (GNMA)

See Government National Mortgage Association

Glass Surveyor’s slang for the EDM prism.

Global Positioning System (GPS) A series of 24 geosynchronous satellites that continuously transmit their position. Used in personal tracking, navigation, and automatic vehicle location technologies.

Gore

A thin triangular piece of land, the boundaries of which are defined by surveys of adjacent properties. Loosely, an overlap or gap between properties. See also strip.

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Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)

A government corporation which provides a secondary market for housing mortgages and special assistance to mortgagee financing housing under special FHA mortgage insurance programs.

Grandfathered Clauses The term “grandfathering” is a misnomer for a legal prior non-conforming use. A “grandfathering” situation occurs when an existing use was in compliance with zoning regulations at the time it began, but changes to the regulations have caused the use to become non-conforming. If the owner sells the property, the buyer will have the right to continue the non-conforming use, causing people to label the use as “grandfathered.”

Grantee The party or parties to whom a deed or grant is made.

Grantor The party or parties from whom a deed or grant is made.

Grid A network of uniformly spaced, parallel lines intersecting at right angles.

Group Parking Facility A building, structure or lot used for parking that serves more than one dwelling unit.

Guardian One appointed by the court to administer the affairs of an individual not capable of administering his own affairs.

Gun Surveyor’s slang. See EDM

Gunter’s Chain

Unit of length equal to 66 feet (4 rods) long.

Hectare

Metric unit of measure denoting 10,000 square meters (2.471 acres).

Heir One who might inherit or succeed to an interest in lands under the rules of law applicable where an individual dies without leaving a will.

Heirs and Assigns Terminology used in deeds and wills to provide that the recipient receives a “fee simple estate” in lands rather that a lesser interest.

Hiatus A gap or space unintentionally left between, when attempting to describe adjacent parcels of land.

Highway Marker A stone bound placed by the State Highway Department denoting the sidelines, curve points, and offsets of highway points.

Homestead An estate in land, which a householder has in the property that he and his family occupy as their residence. Their estate is exempt from forced sale to satisfy householder’s debts.

Horizontal Measure The law requires all distance measurements to be on a horizontal plane. Today, many surveyors measure the slope distance and the vertical angle to calculate the horizontal distance. However, some old surveys used slope measure causing a resurvey of those lines to have distances that appear shorter than what was called for in the deed.

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Hours Surveyor’s slang for degrees.

Hub and Tack Surveyor’s slang for a 2 x 2” stake set in the ground that contains a nail (tack) to precisely mark the point being set.

Hydrology The scientific study of the waters of the Earth, especially with relation to the effects of precipitation and evaporation upon the occurrence and character of ground water.

Improvements Those additions to raw lands tending to increase value such as buildings, streets, sewers, etc.

Inchoate Dower The imperfected interest the law gives a wife in the lands of her husband.

Inchoate Courtesy The imperfected interest the law gives a husband in the lands of his wife.

Ingress The right to enter a tract of land.

Insurance of Title Insurance as to who owns a specified interest in designated real estate, and showing as exceptions to the insured interest the defects, liens and encumbrances which exist as against that insured interest.

Insured Estate The first part of a title commitment that describes the interest in the specific property that is going to be insured. This is part of the Schedule ‘A’ of the title commitment.

In Testate Designates the estate or condition of failing to leave a will at death.

Joint Tenancy

Where two or more persons hold real estate jointly for life, the survivors to take the interest of the one who dies.

Judgment (1) A formal decision or decree of a court; (2) a certificate evidencing such a decree

Judgment Lien The charge upon the lands of a debtor resulting from the decree of a court properly recorded in the office of the county recorder in the county in which the property is located.

Junior Mortgage A mortgage, the lien of which is subordinate to that of another mortgage.

Jurisdiction The official power to make legal decisions and judgments.

Labor The unit of area used in Mexico and Texas.

Land Use Plan See “Comprehensive Plan”

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Land Use Regulation Ordinances of government including requirement of permits and codes created to ensure private use of land resources are aligned with policy standards. Some forms of land use regulations including housing codes, regulations for subdivisions, zoning ordinances, and building codes.

Landlocked Refers to a property that has no direct access to a public street, so the only way on or off the property is to cross land owned by someone else. Usually, a landlocked property gains street access through a legal permission called an easement.

Landmark A survey mark made on a permanent feature of the land such as a tree, pile of stones, etc.

Latitude The angular distance (in degrees, minutes, and seconds) of a point on the Earth’s surface north or south from the equator.

Lattice A self-supporting tower that is tapered from the bottom up, usually with three or four legs. Lattice structures can reach heights of up to 1,000 feet.

League (legua) The unit of area used in the southwest United States, equal to 25 labors, or 4,428 acres in Texas, or 4,439 acres in California.

Lease A grant of the use of property for a term of years in consideration of the payment of a monthly or annual rental.

Legal Blemish Blemishes on a piece of property, such as a zoning violation or fraudulent title claim.

Legal Description A specific way of identifying and locating a piece of real estate that is acceptable to a court.

Legend An explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart shown either by a symbol or abbreviation.

Legs Surveyor’s slang for tripod.

Lessee

One who takes lands upon a lease.

Lessor One who grants lands under a lease.

Lien A hold, a claim or a charge allowed a creditor upon the lands of a debtor.

Life Estate A grant or reservation of the right of use, occupancy and ownership for the life of an individual.

Linen A type of material upon which ink drawings of land surveys are drawn for filing in registries of deeds.

Line Tree Any tree that is on a property line,

specifically one that is also a corner to another property.

Link

A land measurement that equals 1/100th of a chain or 66/100th of a foot.

Lis Pendens A legal notice recorded in the official records of a county to indicate that a suit is pending affecting the lands where the notice is recorded.

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LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution Service) Located in the 28 GHz and 31 GHz bands, LMDS is a broadband radio service designed to provide two-way transmission of voice, high-speed data and video (wireless cable TV). FCC rules prohibit incumbent local exchange carriers and cable TV companies from offering in-region LMDS.

Load Capacity The quantity that is or can be carried at one time. the amount that can be contained

Local Area Network (LAN) A data communications system that (a) lies within a limited spatial area, (b) has a specific user group, (c) has a specific topology, and (d) is not a public switched telecommunications network, but may be connected to one.

LOMA Letter of map amendment.

Longitude The angular distance (in degrees, minutes, and seconds) of a point on the Earth’s surface east or west of the Greenwich meridian.

Lot A measured parcel of land having fixed boundaries.

Lot Area The area (in square feet) of a zoning lot.

Lot Coverage That portion of a zoning lot which, when viewed from above, is covered by a building.

Lot Depth The mean horizontal distance between the front lot line and rear lot line of a zoning lot.

Lot Width The mean horizontal distance between the side lot lines of a zoning lot.

Low Frequency (LF) Any frequency in the band from 30 kHz to 300 kHz.

Magnetic North

The northerly direction in the Earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle.

Majority

This is the age at which a person is entitled to handle his own affairs.

Marketable Title A good title about which there is no fair or reasonable doubt.

Master Plan See “Comprehensive Plan”

Mean Sea Level Tidal datum that is the arithmetic mean of the hourly water elevations observed over a specific 19-year Metonic cycle (National Tidal Datum Epoch).

Meander Line Metes-and-bounds traverse approximately among the mean high water line of a permanent body of water. A meander line differs from other metes-and-bounds surveys in that it does not ordinarily determine or fix boundaries.

Mechanics Lien A lien allowed by statute to contractors, laborers, and suppliers against a property upon which work has been performed or materials supplied to seek payment.

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Meridian Great circle on the surface of the Earth passing through the geographical poles and any given point on the Earth’s surface. All points on a given meridian have the same longitude.

Metes Measure of length

Metes and Bounds A time-honored land surveying method of describing land in terms of shape and boundary dimensions, using the boundary lines of land, their terminal points and angles, and compass headings and distances.

Minute The 60th part of a degree as of longitude.

Monument A permanently placed physical structure marking the location of a survey point. Common monuments include inscribed metal tablets set in concrete posts and metal rods driven in the ground.

Moratorium When a governing body is considering the amendment of its zoning ordinance or planning documents, it may decide to enact a temporary ban, a “moratorium” on zoning applications for the uses being considered.

More or Less A term used not because someone did not know the exact area, but to show that the tract is conveyed by the area contained within the description and not by the acre.

Mortgage An instrument used to encumber land as security for a debt.

Mortgage Acceleration Clause See Acceleration Clause

Mortgagee A designation for the mortgage holder on lands.

Mortgagor A designation for the mortgage borrower on lands.

Municipality A city, town or other district possessing corporate existence and usually its own local government.

NEPA

See National Environmental Policy Act 1969

National Environmental Policy Act 1969 (NEPA), 42 USC §§ 4321 et seq.

NEPA is the basic national charter for protection of the environment. It requires all Federal agencies to implement procedures to make environmental consideration a necessary part of an agency's decision-making process. Specifically, NEPA and the regulatory guidelines established by the Council on Environmental Quality which implemented the Act, 40 C.F.R. §§ 1500 et seq., require all Federal agencies to take into account environmental consequences when making decisions which could be considered major federal actions. The FCC complies with NEPA by requiring licensees to review their proposed actions for environmental consequences.

National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS)

This society is open to all professional surveyors and to persons trained, registered, or interested in the profession of surveying and mapping. NSPS strives to establish and further common interests, objectives, and political effort that would help bind the surveying profession into a unified body in the United States.

Natural Monument Streams, lakes, shores, ledge outcrops, and sometimes streets and highways, used as boundary markers.

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Non-Conforming Use A use of property that was allowed under the zoning regulations at the time the use was established but which, because of subsequent changes in those regulations, is no longer a permitted use.

Non-Conforming Lot A lot is one that, at the time of its establishment, met the minimum lots size requirements for the zone in which it is located but which, because of subsequent changes to the minimum lot size applicable to that zone, is now smaller than that minimum lot size.

Non-Conforming Structure A structure that complied with zoning and development regulations at the time it was built but which, because of subsequent changes to the zoning and/or development regulations, no longer fully complies with those regulations.

Notary Public An official authorized by law to attest and certify certain documents by his hand and official seal.

Note

A written promise to pay an amount of money at a certain time or in a certain number of installments. The note usually provides for payment of interest. The note is at times secured by a mortgage.

NSPS See National Society of Professional Surveyors

Open-End Mortgage

A mortgage or deed of trust written so as to secure and permit advancing of funds in addition to the amount originally loaned.

Open Space Any open piece of land that is undeveloped (has no buildings or other built structures) and is accessible to the public.

Orthophotography An orthophoto is an image of ground features in their true map coordinates, created photogrammetrically from aerial photography.

Overlay District A district superimposed upon another district which supersedes, modifies or supplements the underlying regulations. Limited height districts and commercial overlay districts are examples of overlay districts.

Ownership The right to possess and use property to the exclusion of others.

POB

(See Point of Beginning)

POC (See Point of Commencement)

Parapet A low wall or protective barrier that extends vertically above the roof of a building or other structure.

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Parcel A part or portion of land.

Parole Evidence Evidence gathered by the surveyor from verbal testimony of landowners or adjacent landowners as to the location of boundaries.

Partition Division of land, usually by a legal proceeding, among the parties who were formerly co-owners.

Party Wall A wall which divides two adjoining properties and in which each of the owners shares the rights.

Patent A document issued for the purpose of granting public lands to an individual.

Perch (See Pole)

Photogrammetric Mapping The production of base maps from aerial photography. Mapping generated using photogrammetry provides a cost-effective method of establishing an accurate digital base for such things as urban planning, terrain analysis and forest management. Photogrammetry can be used for landfill or gravel pit monitoring, determining the location of ore bodies or determining proposed locations for utilities, such as pipelines and transmission lines.

Planned Unit Development (PUD) A mixed-use development (often residential, retail and office) with a cohesive design plan.

Planning Board See “Planning Commission”

Planning Commission A group of citizens appointed by local government officials to conduct hearings and recommend amendments to zoning ordinances.

Plat or Plot A map representing a piece of land subdivided into lots with streets shown thereon.

Plenum The space above a suspended ceiling or under a raised floor, used to circulate air back to the heating or cooling system in a building.

Point of Beginning (POB)

The starting point of the survey.

Point of Commencement (POC) Ties POB to a known point on the face of the Earth.

Polaris This is the another name of the North Star. It is in the constellation Ursa Minor and marks the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. Polaris's location, less than 1° from the north pole, makes it a very important navigational star. Surveyors will locate and observe the location of Polaris in order to establish true north.

Pole

Unit of measure; 25 links or 16 ½ feet.

Possession Line A use line defined by a fence, tree line, painted lines, mowed areas, or some other means that may or may not agree with the record (deed) calls.

Power of Attorney An instrument authorizing another to act on one’s behalf as his agent or attorney.

Prepayment Penalty Penalty to the mortgagor for payment of the mortgage debt before it becomes due.

Primary Use The principal or dominant use of the land, such as residing in a home, running business or manufacturing a product.

Professional Surveyor A person who has fulfilled all the experience and testing requirements outlined in the code of the state that governs the practice of land surveying. This qualifies a person to survey for the public. It is illegal for anyone to survey for the public without a license.

Project Management Managing and planning job tasks to ensure projects are completed in a timely and successful manner.

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Public Land System Public lands are subdivided by a rectangular system of surveys established and regulated by the Bureau of Land Management. The standard format for subdivision is by townships measuring six miles (480 chains) on a side.

Public Records Records which by law impart constructive notice of matters relating to land.

Pueblo A Spanish land grant of less than 1,000 acres.

Punk Surveyor’s slang for railroad.

Purchase Money Mortgage A mortgage given by the purchaser to the seller simultaneously with the purchase of real estate to secure the unpaid balance of the purchase price.

Quiet Title

The removal of a cloud on title by proper action in a court.

Quiet Title Action To bring into court a proceeding to establish title to land by forcing the claimant to establish his claim.

Quit Claim The release or relinquishment of a claim to land.

Quit Claim Deed

A legal instrument used to release one person's right, title, or interest to another without providing a guarantee or warranty of title.

REA

Reciprocal easement agreement.

RSA Rural Service Area

Rancho A Spanish land grant of more than 1,000 acres.

Range A north-south column of townships in the U.S. public land surveying system.

Real Estate

Pertaining to things fixed, permanent, or immovable, as to lands and tenements; as, real property, in distinction from personal or movable property.

Reconnaissance The time spent in the field prior to the traverse finding evidence of the property lines and corners relative to the survey.

Reconveyance

A deed from the mortgagee or trustee of a deed of trust which releases specific property from the lien of the mortgage or deed of trust.

Record Line The property line as defined by the deeds. The surveyor is responsible for retracing the record line and showing any encroachments resulting from possession lines on the plat of survey. The court, not the surveyor, has the right to establish a possession line as a boundary line as long as the requirements of the law are fulfilled.

Redemption The right of the owner in some states to reclaim title to his property if he pays the debt to the mortgagee within a stipulated time after foreclosure.

Reference Tree A tree used to reference a corner or a monument on line and normally marked with three hacks or notches facing the corner or monument. They are sometimes referred to as witness trees.

Reflector A prism used to reflect light back to an EDM.

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Registered Land Surveyor

See Professional Surveyor

Registry of Deeds Place where deeds and plans of land, mortgages, and realty instruments are filed.

Reinsurance The act of an insurer is sole insurer for a portion of the risk and shares the risk in the excess amount with the reinsurers.

Reissue Rate A reduced rate of title insurance premium applicable in cases where the owner of the land has been previously insured in an owner’s policy by the insurer within a certain time.

Remainder An interest or estate in land in a person other than the grantor in which the right of possession and enjoyment of the land is postponed until the termination of some other interest or estate in the land.

Report of Survey A summary of the facts and findings regarding the survey. It is a sealed document that lists the entire record search, identify any significant problems incurred during the survey, and provide explanation why and how the corners were set. The report is optional depending upon the situation, and does not need to be required unless a client would choose to do so.

Restriction Provision in deed or will or in a “Declaration of Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions” which limits in some way the right to use land or convey its title.

Relative Positional Precision The length of the semi-major axis, expressed in feet or meters, of the error ellipse representing the uncertainty due to random errors in measurements in the location of the monument, or witness, marking any corner of the surveyed property relative to the monument, or witness, marking any other corner of the surveyed property at the 95 percent confidence level. This is estimated by the results of a correctly weighted least squares adjustment of the survey.

Retracement Survey A survey attempting to reestablish an existing survey line. This is sometimes referred to as a resurvey.

Reversion Provision in conveyance by which, upon the happening of an event or contingency, title to the land will return to the grantor his successor in interest in the land.

Rezoning A change in the zoning district applied to a parcel of land, and thus a change to the permitted uses and accompanying regulations with that parcel.

Right of Way The right of a person to pass over the land of another.

Riparian Belonging to or relating to the bank of a river.

Rod See Pole

Rodman Surveyor’s slang for the person holding the rod with the EDM prism—the modern chain carrier.

Rood A unit of area containing 40 square rods, or ¼ acre, or 10,890 square feet.

Rooftop sites Antennae located on rooftop sites are widely used in metropolitan areas where space, zoning, and construction issues may be prohibitive.

Run-Rate The revenues that a company would have in the next 12 months if the current revenue rate remained unchanged; usually calculated by multiplying the latest quarter's revenues by four.

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Sale and Leaseback

A financial device which an owner of land may employ to raise money and still have the use of the land by selling the land to his financier and immediately leasing it back for the period he wishes to use it.

Secular Change The difference between two magnetic meridians measured at different times. It is also known as variation and the difference should always be clockwise. Most original surveys were based on the magnetic meridian as measured with a compass.

Section or Section of Land Unit of subdivision of a township; normally a quadrangle one mile square with boundaries conforming to meridians and parallels within established limits, containing 640 acres as nearly as practical.

Set Back Lines Those lines which delineate the required distances for the location of structure in relation to the perimeter of the property.

Shoot Surveyor’s slang for the measure distance with an EDM.

Site Acquisition The right location can be key to the success of a project and operation. The process may include identifying optimal locations; budget planning; negotiating lease terms; zoning support; building permits; photos, narrative explanations of acquisition terms and site findings, preliminary latitude, longitude and ground elevation of the site; locations of utilities; and a field sketch of the proposed site arrangement.

Site Plan A diagram that shows the layout of a property or “site”. A site plan may include the location of buildings and structures, as well as property features such as driveways, walkways, landscaped areas, gardens, pools or water, trees, terraces and more.

Solaris This is the name of the Sun. Surveyors will locate and observe the location of Solaris in order to establish true north.

Special Use Permit A special use permit allows a landowner to obtain a tract of land for a use that does not fall directly under the permitted usage for that specifically zoned area. In most areas, the community is separated into different zones determined by the community’s zoning commission. These zones are then given a specific set of “by-right” permitted uses.

Special Warranty Deed A deed containing a covenant whereby the seller agrees to protect the buyer against being dispossessed because of any adverse claims to the land by the seller, or anyone claiming through him.

Specific Plans Specific plans are mechanisms by which local planning agencies can specify development regulations and land use preferences for certain unique physical areas. Specific planning regulations apply only in specified geographic areas, allowing local regulatory agencies the ability to tailor planning and zoning regulations to unique topography or circulation patterns in special areas.

Spike Surveyor’s slang for typically a 60-penny nail used to mark survey points in hard ground.

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Spot Elevation Point of a map or chart whose height above a specified datum is noted, usually by a dot or a small sawbuck and elevation value.

Stadia Technique of distance measurement and differences of elevation wherein the observer reads the intercept subtended on a graduated rod between two marks on the reticle of the telescope.

State Plane Coordinate System Coordinate systems established by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (now the National Ocean Survey), usually one for each state, for use in defining positions of points in terms of plane rectangular (x,y) coordinates.

Strip A rectangular piece of land adjoining a parcel, created when a resurvey turns up a tiny bit larger than the original survey. The difference is accounted for by temperature or other effects on measuring chains. See also strip.

Subdivision A tract of land surveyed and divided into lots for purposes of sale.

Subsurface Right The right to ownership of everything beneath the physical surface of the property.

Survey (1) A survey is the measurement by a licensed

surveyor of real property that delineates the boundaries of a parcel of land as further defined under state law. A survey for land title purposes additionally designates the location of all visible evidence of improvements, encroachments, and easements; (2) the associated data obtained in a survey; (3) an organization engaged in making a survey.

Take Out Loan

A permanent mortgage loan which a lender agrees to make to a borrower upon completion of improvements on the borrower’s land. The proceeds of the loan are used principally to pay off the construction loan.

Tape A durable and flexible measuring device.

Tax Deed

The deed given to a purchaser at a public sale of land for nonpayment of taxes.

Tenancy in Common An estate or interest in land held by two or more persons each having equal rights of possession and enjoyment but without any right of survivorship between the owners.

Tenant Any person in possession of real property with the owner’s permission.

Terrain The surface features of an area of land; topography.

Testate

The estate or condition of leaving a will at death.

Testatrix A woman who makes or has made a testament or will.

Theodolite (the•od•o•lite) A calibrated, precision surveying instrument used to determine relative position in surveying, navigation, and meteorology. It is similar in construction to a surveyor's transit, consisting of a telescope fitted with a spirit level and mounted on a tripod so that it is free to rotate about its vertical and horizontal axes. Pronounced: thE - odl - It

Title Deed The deed constituting the evidence of a person’s legal ownership and possession of land.

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Title Defect

Any legal right held by others to claim property or to make demands upon the owner.

Title Insurance Insurance against loss or damage resulting from defects or failure of title to a particular parcel of real property.

Title Search An examination of public records, laws and court decisions to disclose the current facts regarding ownership of real estate.

Topography The physical features of a place; or the study and depiction of physical features, including land elevations.

Topographic Survey A survey having to do with topography or the physical features of a place.

Torrens System A governmental title registration system wherein title to land is evidenced by a certificate of title issued by a public official known as the registrar of title.

Total Station An electronic devise used by surveyors to define horizontal and vertical angles and distances.

Township Unit of survey of the public lands in the United States, normally a quadrangle approximately 6 miles square, containing 36 sections.

Transferable Development Rights (TDR) A voluntary, incentive-based program that allows landowners to sell development rights from their land to a developer or other interested party who then can use these rights to increase the density of development at another designated location.

Transit Precision surveying instrument; a theodolite in which the telescope can be reversed in direction by rotation about its horizontal axis.

Traverse A procedure for gathering field evidence as called for in the deeds. It is a series of bearings and distances from one point to another.

Tripod A three-legged stand on which a total station sits.

True North A reference to the true north direction of the North Pole and not the magnetic north.

Trust A right of property held by one for the benefit of another.

Trustee A person holding property in trust.

Turnkey Supplied, installed, or purchased in a condition ready for immediate use, occupation, or operation.

United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Created by an act of Congress in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey is the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior. The USGS helps resolve complex natural resource problems across the Nation and around the world.

Utility Plan Typically a plan showing all visible indications and known underground locations of utilities. This plan will show what utilities are located on the property and which utilities are available for use able to the property. It is important to note that underground utility locations are shown only by approximate locations per utility companies as-built plans.

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Vara Unit of length used in the U.S. southwest and the Spanish-speaking world that has values of approximately 33 inches.

Variance A discretionary, limited waiver or modification of a zoning requirement. It is applied in situations where the strict application of the requirement would result in a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship for the landowner. Typically, the difficulty or hardship must be due to an unusual physical characteristic of the parcel.

Vendee A purchaser of real property.

Vendor A seller of real property.

Vernier Scale A short graduated scale that slides along a longer graduated scale and allows the longer one to be subdivided into smaller parts. Used in surveying to divide angles into minutes and seconds for great accuracy.

WC

Witness Corner

Warranty An agreement and assurance by the grantor of real property for himself and his heirs, to the effect that he is the owner and will defend the title given.

Warranty Deed

A deed warranting that the grantor has a good title free and clear of all liens and encumbrances and will defend the grantee against all claims.

Water Features

Springs, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, canals, ditches, marshes, swamps running through, outside but within five feet (5’) of the perimeter or forming a boundary of a piece of property.

Will

A written document properly witnessed, providing for the distribution of property owned by the deceased.

Wireless Using the radio-frequency spectrum rather than some of wire for transmitting and receiving voice, data and video signals for communications.

Witness Tree Generally used in the public land states, this refers to the trees close to a section corner. The surveyor blazed them and noted their position relative to the corner in their notebook. Witness trees are used as evidence for the corner location.

Wraparound Mortgage A mortgage that secures a debt that includes the balance due on an existing senior mortgage and an additional amount advanced by the wraparound mortgagee. The wraparound mortgagee thereafter makes the amortizing payments on the senior mortgage.

Zero or Perfect Zero

Surveyor’s slang for zero degrees, minutes, and seconds (a perfect zero).

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Zoning A section of an area or territory established for a specific purpose, as a section of a city restricted to a particular type of building, enterprise, or activity: a residential zone.

Zoning Commission See “Planning Commission”

Zoning Ordinance Created in compliance with a governing body’s comprehensive plan, zoning ordinances are comprised of maps showing the zoning districts and text setting forth the regulation of uses and structures within each type of district.