Bock & Clark Blog

In 1962, the first version of the “Minimum Standard Detail Requirements” was adopted and put into effect to standardize the survey product called the ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey. Over the years, there have been approximately ten revisions to the Minimum Standards. Learn more.

Commercial zoning reports can be completed during a pandemic. Although a small number of municipalities are closed, most planning and development departments across the country are still doing business with many working behind closed doors and/or remotely.

Within the Optional Table A Items for an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey, the definition of Item 21 is blank. It has intentionally been left blank to allow for additional information that a surveyor may be willing to provide if what is being requested is within the surveyor’s limits of expertise. Learn more.

It is now clearly defined that it is up to a professional surveyor’s judgement to address the issue of the integrity of boundary resolution. As a result, the surveyor is required to resolve the surveyed property’s boundary as a part of an ALTA Survey. Learn more.

It is in the best interest of the buyer and the tenant of a commercial property to ensure that a current ESA Phase 1 has been performed for the subject property. Environmental liability is determined by several state and federal statutes that can put the buyer and the tenant at risk if sufficient due diligence is not conducted.

The advances in drone technology are affecting countless industries in a variety of ways and land surveying is not exempt.  From package delivery to surveillance and data gathering, drone surveying is fast becoming a tool that surveyors too are incorporating into their work. 

Discussions have begun within the NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors) regarding potential revisions to the ALTA/NSPS Minimum Standard Detail Requirements. The tentative plan is to have the final version ready to be adopted by both ALTA and NSPS in the fall of 2020 and go into effect sometime in February of 2021.

The terms have been worked out the deal has closed and now the property is part of your portfolio. In a perfect scenario plans can move forward and the next phase of the project will be underway. However, it is rare to find a “perfect” scenario.

When engaging a Surveyor to provide an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey, the orderer should consider several items to guaranty receipt of a quality survey that meets their needs and delivers on-time. Learn more.

With the adoption of the 2016 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys, surveyors must now provide an organized summary of notes of the easements burdening a property. The summary is based upon documentation provided to the surveyor (i.e. Title Commitments and underlying documents) or otherwise obtained per Section 4 of the standards. Learn more.