Partnership with the Nantahala Chapter of NCSS

 * Lunch will be provided

Topics

• Water Boundaries (Half  Day)- This seminar will cover the basic concepts behind water boundaries and how those concepts affect the private practice land surveyor. The history of water boundaries will be discussed including the “equal footing” doctrine, “navigability,” “submerged lands,” “mean high tide,” “high water mark,” “low water mark,” and other issues affecting the identification and location of the boundary between the upland owner and submerged lands belonging to the sovereign. The common law and civil law rules with regard to water boundaries will be studied. The riparian and littoral rights of the upland owner and the problems facing the boundary surveyor will be studied. The problems associated with the projection of upland boundaries into water bodies (“riparian boundaries”) will be studied. The navigational servitude of the United States and the state will be discussed and explained. Ample case studies will be examined to flesh-out the relevant issues. PowerPoint presentation
• Title Insurance and  Boundary Surveys for Surveying Professionals (Half Day) - The two most important documents relative to the ownership of property may be the Title Insurance Policy and the Boundary Survey. But what do these documents actually do for the property owner? What does the title policy actually cover and what doesn’t it cover? Does the survey of the property create any assurances for the landowner? What is the role of the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey? Fundamental principles of surveying property boundaries will be discussed and other related matters will be discussed in order to answer these and other important questions.

Instructor

Jeffrey N. Lucas started his career as a land surveyor and is a licensed surveyor in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Lucas is a recognized expert in boundary surveying, land title surveys and property law. He obtained his first land surveying license in Florida (1984) where he spent the first part of his surveying career. After relocating to Alabama, he has practiced across five southeastern states.

Lucas attended and graduated from law school later in his career. He is also a licensed attorney and member of the Alabama State Bar (2003). His practice is focused on land boundary issues and real property law, including adverse possession, boundary disputes, professional liability, real property, and zoning and land use issues. He has been an expert witness and consultant in many cases involving land surveying and boundary disputes.

As a result of his experience and background, Lucas is also a continuing education seminar leader on surveying and legal topics. He has developed a library of over 40 titles and conducts continuing education seminars for land surveyors, engineers and attorneys all across the country. In addition he has authored over 100 articles on surveying, boundary, and legal issues that have been published in state and national professional journals. He has a regular legal column in P.O.B. magazine and has been writing for the magazine since 2004. Lucas has also authored three books on land surveying and boundary law: “Alabama Boundary Law” (2009), “The Pincushion Effect, The Multiple Monument Dilemma in American Land Surveying” (2011), and “Illinois Boundary Law” (2012). Lucas is currently the Alabama Survey Division Manager for ESP Associates AL, Inc.