Authority: IC 25-21.5-2-14

Affected: IC 25-21.5; IC 36-2-12

Sec. 30. (a) This section outlines the procedures and requirements for registered land surveyors when perpetuating the location of original public land survey or grant corners. As used in this section, "grant" means a subdivision, parcel, or tract of land that existed, or the parent tract of which existed, prior to the commencement of the United States Public Land Survey adjoining such subdivision, parcel, or tract.

(b) The purported location of an original public land survey or grant corner as referenced by the county surveyor of the county in which the corner exists is prima facie evidence of that corner's location. The registered land surveyor's responsibility with regard to the use of or need for original public land survey corners or grant corners in association with an original or retracement survey is not met by merely contacting the county surveyor.

(c) If the:

1. (1) location of an original public land survey or grant corner is not monumented and referenced by the county surveyor in accordance with Indiana Code 36-2-12; or
2. (2) registered land surveyor discovers evidence, or otherwise has reason to believe, that a monument purporting to mark the location of an original public land survey or grant corner is not in the proper location;

and if that corner is necessary for purposes of conducting an original, retracement, or route survey as defined in this rule, the registered land surveyor shall contact the county surveyor and perpetuate that corner's location in accordance with this section if the county surveyor is unable to perpetuate the corner in the time frame required by the registered land surveyor.

(d) A registered land surveyor shall perpetuate the location of an original public land survey or grant corner by gathering evidence that may assist in determining the original location of that corner. This evidence includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. (1) Copies of:

   1. (A) The original public land survey field notes and plat or transcribed copies of same.
   2. (B) Deeds and plats that reference the location of the corner.
   3. (C) Historic survey records, road, street, highway, and bridge plans, corner records, recorded surveys and other relevant information from the county surveyor, county recorder or other county, state and municipal offices.
   4. (D) Current or historic aerial photographs.
   5. (E) Records from private surveyors who practice or used to practice in the vicinity of the corner.
2. (2) Parol evidence from knowledgeable landowners or others who may have information relating to the corner.

3. (3) The field location of:

   1. (A) Fences.
   2. (B) Walls.
   3. (C) Roadways.
   4. (D) Survey markers.
   5. (E) Tree lines.
   6. (F) Other lines of possession.
   7. (G) Interrelated or nearby section corners, quarter section corners, quarter-quarter corners, or other aliquot corner of a section, and corners of common report.

(e) After evaluating and weighing the evidence outlined in subsection (d), the registered land surveyor shall do the following:

1. (1) Apply appropriate theory of location to determine the probable locations of the corner.

2. (2) Excavate or otherwise determine if there is a subsurface monument in those locations unless, in the registered land surveyor's opinion, there is no substantial possibility of:

   1. (A) a corner stone; or
   2. (B) other historical survey monument;
3. being found in those locations. Examples of such situations include, but are not limited to, corner locations that fall in concrete highways, in areas where other excavations have previously taken place, such as, for culverts or sewers, or in areas of substantial cut or fill, such as, for interstate highway overpasses or underpasses.

Before excavating, the registered land surveyor shall notify the appropriate jurisdictional agencies.

(f) If, as a result of the corner investigation:

1. (1) a corner stone;
2. (2) historical survey monument; or
3. (3) other evidence;

is found marking the corner, the registered land surveyor shall remonument and reference the corner if necessary to facilitate its recovery by other surveyors.

(g) If, after excavating or otherwise conducting subsurface investigations of the probable locations outlined in subsection (e), a corner stone, historical survey monument, or other evidence of the corner is not found, the registered land surveyor shall do the following:

1. (1) Establish the location of the corner:

   1. (A) based on the best available evidence; and
   2. (B) in accordance with procedures for lost or obliterated corners outlined in or authorized by the United States Code in 43 U.S.C. 751, 43 U.S.C. 752, and 43 U.S.C. 753, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
2. (2) Monument that location.

(h) If the corner was perpetuated for use on an original, retracement, or route survey, the registered land surveyor shall do the following:

1. (1) Describe and reference the monument in such a manner that facilitates its recovery by other surveyors.

2. (2) Document the following:

   1. (A) The chain of history of the corner to the best of his or her knowledge.
   2. (B) The evidence found and weighed.
   3. (C) The search area or areas.
   4. (D) The theory of location applied in re-establishing the corner.
   5. (E) Other relevant information regarding the perpetuation of the corner in the surveyor's report or on the plat of survey, or both.
3. (3) Provide a copy of the surveyor's report and plat of survey to the county surveyor.

(State Board of Registration for Professional Surveyors; 865 IAC 1-12-30; filed May 4, 2006, 1:25 p.m.: 29 IR 3021; readopted filed Nov 9, 2012, 11:26 a.m.: 20121205-IR-865120390RFA; readopted filed Nov 29, 2018, 10:35 a.m.: 20181226-IR- 865180404RFA; readopted filed May 30, 2024, 9:42 a.m.: 20240626-IR-865230820RFA)