California Surveyors Forums

I am working on a project involving an acquisition of some land by a Southern California city. The city surveyor did a splendid job in preparing a legal description of the land by including a copy of a plat and SPECIFICALLY referencing the plat in the description, i.e., "attached hereto and made a part hereof." The well-prepared deed was sent to the city's Real Estates Asset Department and the person responsible for recording the deed, removed the plat map. When I asked him why he did that, he told me it was unnecessary and his department only records the metes and bounds descriptions of deeds and NOT the plat maps prepared and attached by the surveyors.

I suggested to him that he should file a correction deed, including the surveyor-prepared exhibit. He said it was not necessary.

I contacted the survey department and they sent me a copy of the plat map but could not assure it was correct or current. Thus, I have no real sold way to link them together.

Has anyone ever encountered anything like this before?

Yep, and it is getting worse. Reduced copies of reduced copies that are unreadable being recorded. Surveyors preliminary stamped description recorded. Description sheets reversed during recording multiple documents. Easement language within description sheet and fee simple language in the deed document.....
That same Asset Department person probably sends those same descriptions back to the city surveyor a few months later to plot on a tax map so they know where it is in the world because they can't read a legal description :). Jp

Yes,

Did I mention, the adjacent property is valued at $15M?