Revised ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys Requirements Become Effective February 23, 2011

The 2011 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title surveys will become effective February 23, 2011. This will be the first revision of these requirements since 2005. One notable revision has been made in Section 7 addressing the surveyor's certification. The revised language is as follows:

The plat or map of an ALTA/ASCM Land Title Survey shall bear only the following certification, unaltered, except as may be required by jurisdictional requirements pursuant to Section 3.B:

To (name of insured, if known), (name of lender, if known), (name of insurer, if known),  (names of others negotiated with the client);

This is to certify that this map or plat and the survey on which it is based were made in  accordance with the 2011 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ASCM  Land Title Surveys, jointly established and adopted by ALTA and NSPS, and includes  Items _________ of Table A thereof. The field work was completed on ____________.

Date of Plat or Map:________(Surveyor's signature, printed name and seal with Registration/License Number).

At this time, it is unclear whether surveyors will adhere strictly to the certification above or remain willing to provide more comprehensive versions typical in many commercial real estate transactions. As a result, as part of the process of selecting a surveyor, any expanded certification should be provided early in the process so that the prospective surveyor can review and confirm that they will certify to the additional items. A summary of the significant changes between the 2005 ALTA/ASCM Standards and the New 2011 ALTA/ACSM Standards can be found here.