If you've identified a sizeable area of land for development purposes and believe that you can subdivide and market to many individual owners or tenants, then you will first need to clarify what you're working with. You will need to be even more precise here as you are subdividing the land for multiple users and, before you go any further, will need to re-establish the title itself. What is involved here, and how is this type of work undertaken?

Need for Clarity

In most cases, the land in question will be surrounded by property that is owned by other entities. When you re-establish title, you are essentially confirming exactly where the boundary is and, therefore, what you have to work with before you think about the subdivision.

During subdivision, it is likely that you will want to make improvements that are very close to or on the property boundary. You may want to build a wall at this point, for example, and will almost certainly be selling an individual part of the land to a third party based on its precise size.

Methods of Re-establishment

At some point in the past, this land was initially surveyed and the title established. This information would have been recorded with the local government, typically at the local level, and this is the first port of call during the re-establishment process.

Armed with any information gleaned from these sources, a surveyor will then need to have a close look at the development itself and see if they can confirm the original specifications. Often, reference marks will be attached to the survey, and if these can be immediately located, the task of re-establishment is much easier. Sometimes, however, those reference marks may have been removed or may be difficult to find. Secondary markers may help in this situation, such as an etching on a tree or a mark on the side of an existing structure. If these are still present, then they can be used to verify the information contained within the initial (or parent) survey.

Sometimes, all original markers or references may be absent, and, in this case, the surveyor may have to look at the adjoining properties and assess the validity of the survey that way. They may need to refer to a number of different resources and reveal survey records from other authorities to come to a conclusion.

Important Work

Before you can proceed with subdivision, you must formally re-establish title and determine exactly where the boundaries are. This will help to avoid any disputes or problems in the future and, consequently, is a job that needs to be performed by an expert. Talk with a surveyor who has experience in re-establishment for advice.

If you're thinking of creating a subdivision, speak with a professional.