Has my property been surveyed?

Maybe. If your property has been surveyed and the resulting plat of survey was recorded then it is probably on file in the office of the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department located at 3755 East 25th Street, Lawrence, KS. It is possible the survey may have been recorded in the office of the Register of Deeds.



Knowing that your property has been surveyed does not mean the plat has been recorded. While current survey regulations require survey plats be recorded it is possible a survey was done prior to such regulations being in place. It is also possible the survey simply was not recorded as required.



In addition, many people do not understand that a "mortgage survey", or a "mortgage title inspection", as it is called in Kansas, does not constitute a boundary survey. As such, "mortgage title inspections" are not recorded.



The federal government surveyed all of Douglas County in the 1850's. The survey consisted of surveying "townships" which were subdivided into 36 square miles, known as "sections". Each section was subdivided into "quarters", except for some of the sections bordering the Kansas River. Most surveys in Douglas County since the original government survey were performed by the county surveyor until the 1960's. Today there are many surveyors in private practice willing to perform retracement or subdivision surveys.



The best manner in which to determine if your property has been surveyed and to obtain a copy is to visit the Engineering Division office at the Public Works Department, 3755 East 25th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046. It would be very helpful if you could bring a copy of your property's legal description which can be found on your property tax statement. If you have any questions you may contact the Public Works Department by telephone at 785-832-5293.