ALTA Surveys
ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys:
This survey type is a highly detailed boundary survey that has especially stringent requirements as developed by a joint effort of the American Land Title Association and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. These standards exceed the Illinois Minimum Standard requirements for a boundary survey mentioned above. This is a boundary survey specifically prepared to adhere to a set of minimum nationwide standards that have been jointly prepared and adopted by the ALTA/ACSM.
An ALTA survey, in addition to showing visible physical improvements, also must include all of the easements, rights-of-ways, and other survey related documentation contained in the title commitment that affect the ownership of land. We prepare ALTA surveys mostly for commercial properties, because corporations and money lenders can obtain “extended title insurance coverage” from the title company. This type of survey will provide the title company with the information required to insure the title to the land and its improvements, showing in great detail the various aspects of commercial developments.
The ALTA/ACSM Standards also have a table of additional optional items that help in delineating the scope of the land surveyor's services. These items may be included in the survey certification and hence reflected on the plat of survey. When reviewing the optional “Table A” items, the owner and its representative can choose which of these must be included on the survey in order to satisfy both the title requirements and the scope of the project. As required by these standards, we ask our client or its representative to provide us with a current title commitment before preparing and completing an ALTA Survey. We refer to the title commitment for the legal description of the property and compare it with the latest available deeds as well as obtain copies of the legal descriptions of any encumbrances shown on the title as Schedule B (exceptions of title). The extent of ownership, visible physical improvements and encumbrances are graphically portrayed on the plat of survey. The survey will show encroachments if any and their relationship with the established property lines and adjoining properties.
We work very closely with the title company, in order to insure that the title is as complete and thorough as possible and that all possible survey aspects have been covered since the title company must rely on the surveyor’s findings to show survey related matters that affect the ownership of the land and improvements. ALTA Surveys have a standard form and certification language and includes the names of the affected parties, such as the seller, the buyer, the title company, any mortgagees or trustees and other parties that are involved in the transaction or the project development.
All of our ALTA surveys are presented in our NSS (copyrighted) CAD drawing format and prepared using the latest Autodesk industry compatible software packages which are available for our client’s use both in paper and various compatible digital file formats.