When purchasing or refinancing a property, you may require a loan to assist with the process. Before providing those funds, the lending party will require a thorough due diligence process, which often involves ALTA surveying Oklahoma services. These surveys are conducted according to highly specific standards.
What to Know About ALTA Land Surveying Tulsa Oklahoma
ALTA surveys are conducted according to the “Minimum Standard Detail Requirements and Accuracy Standards for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys.” The American Land Title Association and the National Society of Professional Surveyors develop and regularly revise the standards.
These thorough surveys provide the same information as boundary, location, and title surveys. In addition to the data they provide, ALTA surveys are often included in the due diligence process because the standards are uniform nationwide and well-known to surveyors, title professionals, lenders, and attorneys.
The 8 ALTA Surveying Oklahoma Standards
When you work with a surveyor technician in Tulsa Oklahoma, they must follow the latest standards. Here is a brief overview of the minimum standard detail requirements for ALTA/NSPS land title surveys set in February 2021:
1. Purpose
If a title insurance company requires an ALTA survey, a variety of important information must be shared to ensure that a clear understanding between the lender, title company, insured, client, and surveyor can be made. To ensure that the purpose of the survey can be met, the technician will conduct research and on-site fieldwork to provide a fully prepared map and accurate certification.
2. Request for Survey
The client must specifically request an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey to be conducted and provide written authorization for it to occur. Before the survey begins, the client, lender, and insurer will determine the scope of work. The client will then ensure the surveyor can legally enter the property, adjoining properties, and any offsite easements.
3. Surveying Standards
When conducting the ALTA survey, the technician must work according to:
- Standards of practice. The surveyor technician in Tulsa Oklahoma will follow standards set by state or local jurisdictions; if those conflict with ALTA standards, the stricter rules should be followed.
- The normal standard of care. The technician will work according to any recognized yet unwritten local, state, or regional standards of care.
- Boundary standards. The technician will establish or retrace the boundary lines and corners according to appropriate principles.
- Measurement standards. The technician will work according to the Relative Positional Precision of monuments marking the property’s corners.
4. Records Research
The technician must be provided with accurate data, including:
- The property’s current record description. If it is part of a recent subdivision, a description of the parent parcel will suffice.
- Copies of the most recent title commitment. If unavailable, other title evidence should be provided.
- Public records, such as descriptions of adjoiners to the property and recorded easements, servitudes, and covenants.
- Any unrecorded documents that the client wants to provide.
5. Fieldwork
The technician will conduct the survey in the field, making note of:
- Monuments and boundary lines.
- Rights of way and access.
- Lines of possessions.
- Improvements.
- Buildings.
- Easements and servitudes.
- Cemeteries.
- Water features.
6. Plat or Map
The technician will utilize the documentation and data from the survey to create an accurate plat or map. This will document the following:
- Field locations, including monuments, lines, and notes.
- Boundary descriptions, dimensions, and closures.
- Easements, servitudes, rights of way, access, and documentation.
In terms of presentation, the plat or map must be at least 8 ½ by 11 inches. It must also be at a legible, standard engineering scale and include a graphic scale.
7. Certification
When delivering the map or plat, the technician must include a clear certification outlining the survey’s date and parties involved. There are specific certification templates set by the ALTA/NSPS standards.
8. Deliverables
The technician will provide copies of the survey map or plat to the insurer and client. If a state statute or local ordinance shows that the map must be recorded, the surveyor will do so.
Looking for a Surveyor Technician in Tulsa Oklahoma?
The experienced team at Sisemore & Associates specializes in a range of land surveying Tulsa Oklahoma services, including ALTA surveying. Get in touch to partner with us on your next significant project.