4.2 Public Records Research and Indexing
Key Takeaways
- Public records research connects the current parcel to prior conveyances, adjoining parcels, plats, easements, and encumbrances.
- Grantor-grantee indexes, tract indexes, parcel systems, and plat records organize information differently.
- A complete record search follows the parcel history and checks adjoining and senior interests when relevant.
- FS questions may test which record would best resolve a deed, boundary, easement, or chain-of-title issue.
Public Records Research and Indexing
Public records are the starting point for many boundary surveys. They document transfers, subdivisions, easements, mortgages, releases, dedications, road rights, plats, surveys, and other interests. The FS exam includes public records because a surveyor must know which records to seek and how those records affect boundary analysis.
Record systems vary, but common tools include grantor-grantee indexes, grantee-grantor searches, tract indexes, parcel identification systems, map books, survey records, subdivision plat records, road records, probate records, and court records. A grantor-grantee index is organized by parties to instruments. A tract index is organized by land or parcel. A parcel GIS can point to documents, but the recorded instrument remains the evidence to inspect.
A record search often begins with the current deed for the subject parcel. From there, the surveyor follows the chain backward through prior conveyances and compares the subject description with adjoining descriptions. If the parcel was created from a larger tract, the parent conveyance and earlier severances matter. Senior and junior rights can depend on the sequence of conveyances. Plats, lot-and-block references, easements, and right-of-way records may explain calls that are unclear in the deed alone.
Public record research checklist
| Record type | What it can reveal | Boundary use |
|---|---|---|
| Current deed | Present owner, description, exceptions | Starting point for the subject parcel. |
| Prior deeds | Earlier descriptions and conveyance sequence | Shows how the parcel was created or changed. |
| Adjoining deeds | Neighbor descriptions and senior rights | Tests harmony or conflict with the subject deed. |
| Subdivision plats | Lots, blocks, monuments, dedications | Provides controlling map evidence for platted land. |
| Easement records | Access, utility, drainage, conservation rights | Identifies rights that burden or benefit land. |
| Road and right-of-way records | Public or private corridor interests | Explains occupation and limits near roads. |
| Court or probate records | Title transfers, judgments, estates | May explain unusual chain-of-title links. |
Indexing mistakes create real survey problems. A name may be misspelled, a company may merge, a parcel may be indexed under a prior owner, or a document may be recorded in a different book. A legal description can reference an unrecorded map or an old road name. A deed may include exceptions that remove part of the apparent parcel. A surveyor who stops at the newest deed may miss the instrument that created the controlling boundary.
Adjoining records are especially important. A boundary is shared. If the subject deed calls for a line that conflicts with the neighbor's senior deed, a measurement-only solution may create an overlap or gap. Reviewing adjoining chains helps identify senior rights, record monuments, common grantor intent, and simultaneous conveyance issues.
For FS questions, identify the missing record that best addresses the issue. If the question asks who conveyed the parcel over time, think chain of title. If it asks whether a utility has rights across the land, think easement records. If it asks about a platted lot, think subdivision plat. If it asks about a conflict with a neighbor, think adjoining deeds and senior conveyances.
What is a grantor-grantee index primarily organized by?
Why should a surveyor review adjoining deeds in a boundary survey?
For a parcel described as Lot 6 of a recorded subdivision, which record is especially important?