PLOTTING

In plotting simple technical description of surveys appearing on the title, consult any acknowledge-able or experienced person, a Geodetic or Civil Engineer or an Architect.  However, for purposes of simply having a reference plan for any particular land with four corners, you may try to plot the map plan as follows:

1. Determine the proper or ideal scale to be used.  Analyze the suitable measurements that will possibly fit with the center of your drawing paper.  Normally, lots more than 1000 square meters in area, a scale of 1:200 up to 1:400 is used.  For larger lot areas, a higher scale of 1:500 or up is used.
2. using a triangular scale in circular or half circular protractor, plot and draw the boundary lines based on every bearing and distance between every corner indicated on the technical description of title.
3. Always orient the protractor towards the north and start planning from corner 1 up to the last corner, the bearing indicated in the lot description.  Then using the triangular scale, measure and draw the distance indicated therein.
4. Continue the same process from one corner or line to another up to the last corner line until it meets corner 1 which is the point of beginning.  This process should be done accurately to render the results correct.  Otherwise, plotting becomes a trial and error process which is costly in terms of time and material.
5. If accurately done, you can proceed in indicating the corner numbers, bearings and distances, lot areas, lot and block numbers, not only of the subject property but also the adjoining lots as indicated in the technical description of the title.

LAND TITLES IN RELATION TO MAPS OR PLANS

A.      TORRENS TITLE TO LAND is issued as evidence of ownership under the Torrens system of registration in accordance with the Public Land Act and Registration Laws.  Titles of ownership originate from approved plans, surveys and decrees issued by the LRA and/or judicial courts such as land patents, private subdivision surveys and other methods of surveys.

B.      Commonly Used Survey Symbols appearing on the approved plans and in titles:

1.  Plans approved by the Land Registration Authority

• (LRC) Psd - Private subdivision of titles and properties
• (LRC) Pcs - Private Consolidation - subdivision of titled properties

2.  Plans approved by the Bureau of Land Management

• Psd - Private Subdivision of titled properties
• Pcs - Private - consolidation subdivision of titled properties
• H - Homestead patents
• FPA - Free Patent Application
• PSU - Private Original Surveys
• AP - Advanced Plans
• GSS - Group Settlement Survey
• PLS - Public Land Subdivision
• CAD - Cadastral Land Subdivision
• SWO - Special Work Order
• AMD - Amended Survey

3.  Other Survey Symbols and Common Tie Points

• BLLM - Bureau of Land Location Monument
• BLBM - Bureau of Land Barrio Boundary Monument
• LM - Location Monument
• CBM - City Boundary Monument
• PBM - Provincial Boundary Monument
• BBM - Barrio Boundary Monument
• OCT - Original Certificate of Title
• TCT - Transfer Certificate of Title

COMMON MAPS OR PLANS USED IN THE REALTY PROFESSION AND ITS CONTENTS

Subdivision maps/plans or schemes are normally prepared as a sales control plan and contain the following data:

a.  Blocks, lots and subdivision plan numbers.

• Road lot numbers/street layout and names
• Open spaces and layout of subdivision facilities
• Lot areas
• Entrance/exit gates and perimeter or boundary lines
• Names of subdivision, location, scale
• Sales legend and other features of the project
• Name of selling Brokers/Realtors and the Owner/ developer company
• Office address and telephone numbers

b. Topography (contour) maps is also a land survey map containing the details of the topography or condition of the land or natural contour of the terrain.

c.  A prepared vicinity or location plan contains the following:

• Lot plan with bearing and distances
• The lines or points of reference
• Corners and boundary lines
• Lot plans and plan numbers
• Name of owners and claimants
• Location and distance from the nearest main road
• Scale, meridian and area
• Certification of the Surveyor/Geodetic Engineer

d.  Greater Manila Area maps are prepared in loose pages or bookbound like the "INS" and "OUTS" which cover the four cities and municipalities or provinces.

e.  Cadastral or public land subdivision (PLS) maps ar eland surveys or large magnitude covering hundreds and thousands of hectares of parcels of lands, cities, municipalities or provinces executed by government or private contractors, prepared and plotted in mounted papers or microfilm plans tracing cloth filed with the Land Management Bureau (LMB) or in its regional offices.

      There are also book bound copies being sold by private printers/suppliers.  Indicated therein are the following data:

• Lot numbers and lot areas
• Old lot titles, its survey numbers TCT numbers
• Important landmarks or points of references
• Lot corners and numbers
• Cadastral lands (CAD) or PLS survey numbers and location
• Overlapping claims or boundary gaps
• Name of owners and claimants
• Scale, sheet numbers and geographical coordinates

      The map may cover one or more lots or its neighborhood or provinces or just a portion thereof, indicating the barrio, municipality and the sea, river, creeks, existing or proposed roads and highways, kilometer plots, highway boundaries and other infrastructure references.

SITE ORIENTATION BY THE REALTOR

Site Orientation by the Realtor

1.  Ocular Inspection Trips – Methods and References

                During ocular inspection trips to any property site, familiarity of the plans or the land map and its neighborhood is very essential.  Identify in particular all or any pertinent property data and information in the map of plan, landmarks or points of reference and position or orient oneself properly in the area with the following references:

                a) Major roads or highways, natural features such as rivers, creeks, esteros, hills, ravines, mountains, seas and other visible landmarks.

                b) Proximity from existing access roads and transportation routes.

                c) Distance from the nearest streets and intersections by following the roads which connects the site of the property, including physical references such as house number, street name, district or barangays.

                d) Orient the map at the site to its proper direction (north) and/or related structures, fire hydrants, stores or business establishments.

                e) Number of lots from the closest corner, house or identified mark up to the subject site.  In case of open agricultural (rice or corn lands) inquire from the land owners of lo locate irrigation canals, dams and other structures nearby.

                f) Orienting yourself while traveling inside a vehicle may be difficult.  The rising (morning) sun can be a useful guide in the morning and the sundown during the afternoon except during inclement weather conditions.

                g) Orienting yourself in the covered areas, especially inside a building or a structure can be easy.  Use the street direction outside as your guide or better orient your map on plan before entering such building structure.

                h) When the map or plan does not have any meridian or directional mark indicated, use also the street or  other points of reference as your guide.

                i) When the map or plan contains only the bearing and distance of the property line, orient the bearing of one or two lines towards the approximate directions.

                j) Try to locate any existing ground corner monuments and ascertain its reliability.  Verify if it was altered or displaced.  You can also measure its distance by pacing (normal step) method.  One full step is equivalent to about one meter.  You may determine your  normal or regular pace factor which may be between 30 to 50 centimeters or as big as one meter.

2.  Basic Information/ Contents of a Plan

                In real estate deals, reading maps or plans in a simple and practical manner is very useful particularly its contents.  Determine first if the basic information are indicated such as the following:

                a) Lay-out/shape of the subject site of property;

                b) Existing or proposed street or access roads indicated;

                c) Contents or complete details of the map or plan pertinent to the property, namely:

                - Meridian (North or South) directional sign

                - Lot description with bearing and distance

                - Boundary and corner description as marked in the ground

                - Name of owner or claimant

                - Area,scale, location, survey plan number and title number

                - True line from points of reference to corner 1

                - Signature and legal designations

                - Name of geodetic engineer

                - Dates of survey and approval

                The above can be found in the regular or standard forms used for approved maps or plans by the Land Management Bureau of the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

                d) Orient yourself and the maps in its proper direction (north).  Normally, official maps or plans are always plotted and oriented towards the North.

                e) Locate the Block and/or Lot Number of the property subject of your interest and inspection.  If the frontage and depth (dimension) are not indicated, estimate it based on the scale; the distance in between corner should tally with that of the technical description appearing on the title.

                f) Determine in its directional orientation whether the frontage is facing the morning, afternoon sun or otherwise.

MAP READING

      A map is a representation of the earth or part of it, or of the heavens on a plain or flat surface, usually on such such a educed scale. A map generally represents land areas with water surfaces shown only incidentally.

      A chart is associated with navigation where its first concern is to represent the waters of the world - their depths, currents and other aids to navigation - but the wor dis now associated with a new tool - the air chart, used by pilots for navigation in the air over both land and sea.

THUMB RULE IN MAP READING

      The simple methods are as follows:

*Directional signs

*Bearing

*Distance

*Instrument

*Maps/Plans

1.  Directional signs.  "Always know your prime universal directions or determine your bearing and orient yourself with the map or plan in order to locate where you are in the subject site."

a.  Determine the cardinal directions or reference points towards the true North (N), South (S), East (E) and to the West (W).

b.  A manual magnetic compass is a very useful instrument in determining your magnetic bearing or line of orientation towards any given direction.

2.  Bearing -  Bearing is the angle in North or South towards any given direction whichever is nearest and is derived from a true azimuth from the South ( 0 degree) measured clockwise.

3.  Distance is the measurement or dimension in meter and/or centimeters or the property lines in between two corners or 2 points.

4.  Plans - graphic and flat representations of the land surface and structures or landmarks which are normally prepared and drawn in different scales for various uses and follows:

a.  Planning aspects for subdivision developments and other facilities or infrastructures.

b.  Legal aspects for approval requirements of the Land Management Bureau (LMB), Land Registration Authority (LRA) and Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

c.  Marketing aspects for reference in marketing operation and sales inventory lists.

d.  Travel guides for reference to directional and locational needs.

      Some of the basic information from a plan are as follows:

a.  Survey symbol

b.  Name of claimant

c.  Location of Land

d.  Legal authority

e.  Name of surveyor

f.  Description of corner lot

g.  Description of point reference

h.  Bearing and distance of point reference to point 1

i.  Bearing and distance of boundary line in consecutive order

j.  Area in square meters

k.  Description of corners as marked on the ground

l.  Names of adjoining owners or lot numbers of adjoining lots

m.  Date of survey

n.  Date of approval

o.  Name of approving officer

p.  Scale of plan      

      

REASONS FOR MAP READING AND SITE LOCATION OF PROPERTY FOR SALE

      When we are selling property, the first question that we will encounter are:

      Where is this property?
      How do we get to the property?
      Who will show and guide us to the property?
      Who is staying at the property?
      Which property is it?
      What are found in the property?

      Where is the property?  To answer the question, we need technical aids like maps.  For urban or city property, we need to know district, street, house number, old and new house numbers, color of paint and kind of house.  We have to take note of common landmarks like electric posts, transformers, buildings, street intersections, fire hydrant, as well as stores or business establishments.  For rural and agricultural property, we need a sketch even a rough one, occupants of adjoining land, if any, full name, nickname or "bansag" as known in the community; improvements such as a house or hut, trees and other landmarks, creek and other bodies of water.

      How do we get to the property?  The things is know in order to reach the property are as follows:  transportation facilities, guide references, like letters of introduction, and upon actual stepping on the property, corner monuments, physical extent of property, location, and nature of improvements.