Go to www.LandSurveyRecords.com
There is a fantastic source for public access, search and retrieval of land surveys in Ontario. It is www.LandSurveyRecords.com, which came into existence in 2004. Five Barrie surveyors decided to put together a simple website designed to add value to the surveying industry- initially, it was created with only surveyors in mind, but they soon realized that it would benefit other professionals and the public too.
The surveys database produces revenue to surveyors. A surveyor can scan their plans for the database and sell them to people who need them. The database consolidates private and public plans in Ontario, making it easy to search for and retrieve surveys at any time. It provides a safe, offsite storage for plans, and eliminates paper copies and use of office space too.
A survey looks like a one-dimensional, overhead line drawing of a parcel of real estate. It shows the full measurements, corners and boundaries of a property. It is prepared by an Ontario land surveyor using calculations taken on the ground and compared with the registered title. It shows the location of any buildings in relation to the lot lines, as well as improvements such as fences, decks, pools and will show any easements and rights of way in favour of neighbours or utility companies. It tells whether the deed actually describes the property accurately.
Professionals who find this website useful are lawyers, realtors, appraisers, mortgage brokers, land development professionals and municipal planners. They can gain instant access to thousands of land surveys quickly and affordably.
As a homeowner, if you are buying or selling a home, you will need a copy of the survey for the property in question. Every agreement of purchase and sale should have a legible copy of an existing survey attached to it. If no survey exists, a purchaser should insist on that a new survey be done before closing. Title insurance is not a substitute for a survey and cannot provide the information a survey reveals such as any existing encroachments or utility easements.
Tammy Dufault
Century 21 BJ Roth Realty Ltd.
