Course

10607168 Land Surveying 1
Course Information
Description
This course covers legal principles for land rights and boundary location. Emphasis is on legal knowledge required to become a licensed professional land surveyor in Wisconsin. Much of the material is presented in the context of writing land descriptions (a.k.a. property / boundary / legal descriptions) and how such descriptions provide evidence for retracing boundaries in the future.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies (Course Outcomes)
  1. Perform basic legal research to discover relevant laws and rulings
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam
    Criteria
    Identify primary sources of laws and rulings
    Locate cited state and federal statutes and code
    Locate cited Wisconsin Attorney General Opinions and court decisions (case law)
    Differentiate between relevant and non-relevant facts
    Summarize relevant information in plain language
    Use legal terminology effectively

  2. Prepare for licensure as a Wisconsin Professional Land Surveyor
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam
    Criteria
    Explain educational requirements in state law and administrative code
    Explain experience requirements in state law and administrative code
    Explain test requirements in state law and administrative code

  3. Explain land rights and boundary location, particularly in Wisconsin
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam
    Criteria
    Relate historical principles (Statute of Frauds) to modern requirements (written deeds)
    Explain the bundle of rights to land, including how fee simple ownership differs from limited interest
    Use sequential vs. simultaneous boundary creation principles
    Explain original vs. retracement surveys
    Explain the land surveyor's role, compared to attorney or other real estate professional

  4. Write land descriptions (a.k.a. property / boundary / legal descriptions)
    Assessment Strategies
    Exam
    Criteria
    Explain land description types, including particular Wisconsin types such as Certified Survey Map (CSM) and Transportation Project Plat (TPP)
    Apply rules of construction for boundary evidence
    Apply principles when using particular dimensions (directions, distances, curves, area, record dimensions)
    Use calls for adjoining properties or other information about how a boundary was created
    Write descriptions using ABC's (accurate, brief and clear)