Let’s look at three examples of where an SBE process helped avoid some major problems.
Example A: A land description for a new casino almost left out an exception for the road. As a result of an SBE effort, the city did not convey a portion of a major road to the Reservation.
Example B: While researching two parcels with aliquot part descriptions (PLSS), the CFedS went back farther than 50 years shown in the title report and found that there was a recorded property boundary agreement which moved the boundary from the section line to a line that agreed with an old fence.
This was missed by all parties and helped resolve why one owner was claiming to the fence of the original survey line.
Example C: A careful review of the legal descriptions in the record, through an SBE process, added to the effects of an earlier survey, revealed a 10 foot wide gap through the middle of the parcel though to be contiguous.
The agency insisted on the “sellers” getting a quiet title action first; then the acquisition was made of the entire parcel with no gap.
Generally, the SBE process can help in the identification of gaps and overlaps, some created by survey; others by title. Here the agency acquired two “adjoining” parcels at once, assuming they had one large parcel.