Surveyor
Also see: Description; Absolute
Title
Short Answer
A licensed member of the
Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, a self-governing association responsible
for the licensing and governance of professional land surveyors in accordance
with the Ontario Surveyors Act.
Definition
A licensed professional that can accurately determine the size and shape (i.e. boundaries) of a property, set property markers or survey bars at the corners of a property and report on the position of features (e.g., waterways, contours, etc.) of, and improvements (e.g. buildings, fence, etc.) made to, a property. Under the laws of Ontario, only a licensed surveyor may provide surveying services to the public. See the full text of the Surveyors Act here.
The various information regarding a property referred to above are most commonly depicted graphically in a survey plan. There are numerous types of survey plans that are created for different purposes. For example, a condominium description plan is a type of survey plan created for the purpose of setting out the perimeters of the condominium, the boundaries of the condominium units and other information required by the Condominium Act, 1998.
Licensed Ontario surveyors must adhere to a Code of Ethics and the Standards of Practice in accordance the regulations under the Surveyors Act. In addition, various Standards for Surveys and Guidelines for Surveys have been established by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors to ensure the public receive consistently reliable surveys.
The various information regarding a property referred to above are most commonly depicted graphically in a survey plan. There are numerous types of survey plans that are created for different purposes. For example, a condominium description plan is a type of survey plan created for the purpose of setting out the perimeters of the condominium, the boundaries of the condominium units and other information required by the Condominium Act, 1998.
Licensed Ontario surveyors must adhere to a Code of Ethics and the Standards of Practice in accordance the regulations under the Surveyors Act. In addition, various Standards for Surveys and Guidelines for Surveys have been established by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors to ensure the public receive consistently reliable surveys.
What you need to know…
|
…as a Unit Owner, Board Member or Manager
Owners, board members and property managers should be familiar with the general purpose and information illustrated on the description plan of a condominium prepared by a surveyor. Reference to the description plan is often vital to answering questions or resolving disputes pertaining to such things as maintenance or repair obligations and exclusive use of certain common elements. See the Condopædia article on the Description for more information regarding description plans. Note that the condominium corporation will need to hire a surveyor to prepare a new description plan when undertaking an amendment to the description or an amalgamation of two or more condominium plans. Surveyors can also be called upon to confirm that one's interpretation of the description (e.g., to confirm unit boundaries or establish the extent of an exclusive use area) or other relevant survey (e.g., such as one relating to an easement either on or appurtenant to the condominium lands) is accurate. |
…as a Declarant
A developer/declarant will require the services of a licensed surveyor to complete a condominium development. During the concept development stage, surveyors, as well as planners, may be retained by a developer/declarant to create a concept plan and/or a draft condominium plan for the purpose of obtaining condominium approval from the relevant municipal authority. To obtain site plan approval, a developer/declarant must submit a site plan of the development illustrating the physical arrangement of existing property improvements (such as buildings, driveways, parking areas, pedestrian sidewalks, fences, municipal services, etc.) as well as the development’s proposed improvements. A surveyor can prepare the site plan. Depending on the title status of the land upon which a developer/declarant intends to register a condominium, a current survey may need to be prepare as part of an application to convert title to a status known as absolute title. See the Condopædia article on Absolute Title for more information regarding the nature of an absolute title and the application process for absolute title status. Lastly, one of the two constitutional documents required to legally create a condominium, namely the description plan, must be prepared by a licensed Ontario Land Surveyor. See the Condopædia article on the Description for more |