Various Surveying Definitions
An easement certificate is the term used for the registered legal document for an easement on a certificate of title (registered with LINZ) . An easement certificate denotes what easements exist, references a plan that shows the easements, and identifies how the easement works (e.g. maintenance of a right of way or a drain).
An easement in gross is an easement whose benefit is in favour of a specific entity or organisation rather than another piece of land. Some examples of an entity or organisation who may be entitled to be included as the benefactor of an easement in gross are:
- city, district or regional councils. for example, Auckland City, Oterahonga District Council or Environment Canterbury.
- Telecom New Zealand
- Trust Power
- The Arrow Irrigation Company
Fee Simple is the term used to describe an estate in land in common law. Fee simple ownership represents absolute ownership of the land with three exceptions, namely taxation, compulsory purchase and police power.
Land Transfer Plan (LT Plan) is the term used to describe a survey plan that has been prepared under the Land Transfer Act, but which has not yet had the new titles created.
A Boma Survey is when a commercial building is measured up to identify different lease areas for different shops within that building. A boma survey is for lease purposes and are not registered with LINZ.
A Lease Plan is done to identify where the boundaries of a leased area on a property are going. Usually the leased area is being leased for at least 35 years. A lease plan forms part of a full Cadastral Dataset and is registered with LINZ and a title generated for that lease.
A Licensed Cadastral Surveyor is a person who is authorised to oversee and sign a cadastral dataset under Part 3 of the Cadastral Survey Act 2002. All surveys that are approved by LINZ must be completed under the guidance of a Licensed Cadastral Surveyor.
The term Mean High Water Mark refers to the identification of the average high water level of the sea or ocean during all high tides including spring and neap tides. The Mean High Water Mark is usually determined over an extended timeframe, often over the average of several years. The Mean High Water Mark excludes a higher tide than normal due to flooding or a storm surge.
The term Mean High Water Springs refers to the average height of successive spring tides. A spring tide is when the sun and moon are in a line with the earth so that their combined gravitational force raises the level of water during a high tide period. The spring tides also vary from month to month depending on how close to the sun and how close the moon is.
A Maori Land Plan is a cadastral dataset done surveying a piece of Maori land (land that cannot be owned by anyone other than those with Maori ancestry. A Maori Land Plan is usually denoted with an ML, see the example below.
The use of a word Section is often associated as an alternative way of saying Lot or allotment. However when the word section is used on a survey plan it denotes an area of land that was in ownership of the Crown, but has not been alienated (usually into private ownership) from its original ownership. Section often means Lot.
A Servient Tenement is used to describe a property that has an easement over it and whose benefit is for another property or organization.
