ALTA /ACSM Land Title Surveys

During the past 10 years, CIVIL CONSULTANTS has seen an appreciable increase in calls for ALTA/ACSM land title surveys. These are highly detailed cadastral and planimetric surveys, usually of commercial or industrial sites, which are primarily required by the secondary mortgage market but are also often requested by private or public clients prior to significant investment in a parcel of land.

Their primary function is not only to provide detailed information on the boundaries of a parcel of land, but also to discover and depict either physical or record evidence of possessory interests, easements benefiting or encumbering the property, encroachments, land uses over the entire site, compliance or non-compliance with zoning regulations, and other elements which may affect title to the property.

ALTA/ACSM surveys are conducted in accordance with a detailed set of specifications published jointly by the American Land Title Association (ALTA) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). Among other things, these specifications outline the respective responsibilities of client and surveyor, land records research requirements, acceptable field techniques, precision and accuracy requirements, minimum standard levels of detail to be included on the plan(s) resulting from the survey, and the specific language of surveyor’s certifications to be provided on the plan. A list of negotiable items, which may or may not be included on such surveys, is also provided and must be negotiated with the client in the course of establishing each individual survey contract. ALTA and ACSM frequently revise these specifications, in order to keep abreast of the rapidly advancing developments in surveying technology.

ALTA/ACSM land title surveys are typically requested on a rush basis. They demand an intensive field and office effort with rapid turnaround and the ability to negotiate and communicate effectively with the banks, attorneys and title insurers who are generally also involved in the process. In recent years, CIVIL CONSULTANTS has successfully met these demands in the preparation of numerous ALTA/ACSM land title surveys on commercial shopping malls, restaurants, apartment complexes and industrial sites in both Maine and New Hampshire.