Announcement!
After 16 years (1996-2012) of being Business Partners McTigue and Spiewak are taking their business ventures in separate directions. Both land surveyours are still offering their surveying services and can be reach at the links below.
If you would like to reach McTigue & Associates, Ltd. please click on the following link to his new web-site: www.landsurveyorschicago.com
If you would like to reach Andrew Spiewak Land Surveyor, Inc. please click on the following link to his new web-site: www.landsurveyors.pro
McTigue & Spiewak, Inc. provides all types of land surveying work. The professionals provide expertise in landsurveys of all types. For the homeowner or professional, we can prepare Condominium Surveys, Plat of Surveys,ALTA Surveys for real estate closings, refinancing or building permits, as well as Plats ofSubdivision/Resubdivision and many others.
We offer a comprehensive understanding of land, drainage, utilities, and site detail, as well as a greater degreeof control over timing and costs for each project.
We specialize in designing grading and utilities plansto obtain permits from local county or state governments for driveways, parking lot resurfacing, walks, patios andgrade changes (raising or lowering the ground) including grade changes related to new construction and additions.
Most of the definitions presented below are taken in substance from "Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms" prepared by a joint committee of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping and the American Society of Civil Engineers, dated 1972. Presented below publication is available from the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping and other sources.
in construction: a short distance usually measured at a right angle to a line, to preserve the position of the line when it is anticipated that points marking the line itself would be disturbed.
Accuracy
degree of conformity with a standard. Accuracy relates to the quality of a result, and is distinguished from precision, which relates to the quality of the operation by which the result is obtained. see Accuracy and Precision for further information.Easement
areas of land owned by the property owner, but in which other parties, such as utility companies, may have limited rights granted for a specific purpose.Encroachment
a structure or part of a structure that occupies the property of another.Encumbrance
an interest or partial right in real property which diminished the value of ownership, but does not prevent the transfer of ownership. Mortgages, taxes and judgements are encumbrances known as liens. Restrictions, easements, and reservations are also encumbrances, although not liens.Error
the difference between a measured value and the true value. Error in measurement is inherent, but is separate and distinct from a blunder (a mistake).Exception
from a title insurance policy, portions of the land containing encumbrances and in which free and clear title is subject to certain conditions. from a legal description, portions of land which are included in the description of a larger parcel of land but then excluded from it by a subsequent legal description.Improvement
usually some sort of manmade structure, although perhaps not always a literal "improvement".Legal Description
a method of describing a particular parcel of land in such a way that it uniquely describes the particular parcel and no other. A legal description may be a simple reference to a lot as shown on a subdivision plat, or be described by metes and bounds. To be adequate, it should be sufficient to locate the property without oral testimony.Measurement
an estimated value that is, by its nature, subject to error. A person can count (an absolute value) one hundred beans and get the same quantity as someone else counting one hundred beans. However, if two people each measure (an estimated value) a cup of beans , it is likely that they will have a different quantity of beans. Two surveyors measuring the same distance may obtain different values. Both of the values should be similar, but they will only approach the true theoretical value through repetition and statistical analysis.Monument
an object placed to mark the physical location of a position. A property corner monument is often a length of iron rod driven vertically into the ground so that the top is at or below natural grade. A cap identifying the registration number of the surveyor resposible for placing the monument may be placed atop the monument.Offset
in boundary: a point located at the extension of a line and marking the direction of the line. An offset monument may be placed on the extension of a line because the offset position can provide a more durable monument. A common practice is to place offset monuments in a sidewalk or curbhead, as these monuments are less likely to be disturbed than a monument marking the actual position.in construction: a short distance usually measured at a right angle to a line, to preserve the position of the line when it is anticipated that points marking the line itself would be disturbed.