California Surveyors Forums

We've been hired to prepare a parcel map in a section 16. A road documented by an old un recorded subdivision map and shown as being the south 40 feet of section 16.

many subsequent maps have been filed breaking down section 16, each of them showing the 40-foot road.
Then in 1966, on one map, the drafter wanted to show linework to indicate that the south line of the 40-foot road was also the section line. He "offset" a phantom line on his map in an effort to clarify his point.

As time passed, The County apparently "scaled" off this 1966 map and filed a corner snipe acquisition indicating 37 feet of ROW north of the section line and 3 feet of ROW south of the section line.

All maps lying south of section 16 (section 22) show the 40-foot road to be totally within section 16. Furthermore, a 50-foot wide irrigation district ROW lies adjacent to and south of the south line of section 16.

We are simultaneously preparing a parcel map in section 22.

What a mess. What to do ?

"good" and messy

What's a corner snipe acquisition? Was the 3 feet south of the section line dedicated or aquired?

The corner snipe acquisition is basically a chamfer at the right-of-way intersection. instead of a "square corner" a chamfer is created. some agencies call it a corner cutoff. It is a line on the chord of a return radius.

this particular cutoff begins at a point 37 feet north of the section line and goes nw in a 45deg direction til it hits the row line of the north-south street.


We find no dedication for the 3 feet south of the section line.
As of right now, we have no idea why the entire 40-feet shouldnt be north of the section line.

Is the County's Planning or Road Department requiring the property owner(s) to dedicate any additional road right-of-way along the southerly line of Section 16? I ask this because San Bernardino County requires that dedications for roads on Parcel Maps along the Section lines, as well as the Center-Section lines, be dedicated at 44' half-width, with a 35' radial curve return. If this is the case in your County, then the existing road width (either 40' or 37') and corner snipe will just be re-dedicated under the new Parcel Map.

Under this zoning, there will be no dedication, as 40-feet is the untimate ROW for this particular road.

The issue is with a possible encroachment on a 50-foot wide irrigation easement which lies south of and adjacent with the north line of section 21 (I erred with 22 before) If there is 3 feet of ROW south of the common section line, then there is a conflict.


NOW, I just recieved a 1924 document which indicates the 40-foot road to not be colinear with the section line, but rather runs at a random bearing.

For sure, there is a conflict with the road easement and the Irrigation easement.

Interesting to note haw difficult it was for me to gain access to those public road deeds. Good thing I brought "mentos" and just walked in like I owned the place.

Anybody else having a hard time accessing public and county records?

"good" and mean