Subdivision
Surveys
How do I go about subdividing my property?
The first step is to determine how you want to subdivide
the property. The next step is to determine whether
or not the proposed subdivision meets community zoning
by-laws. A Surveyor, the town planner or development
officer can help answer this question. A sketch is
then prepared and submitted to the Planner at Community
Planning and Infrastructure, Municipal and Community
Affairs, GNWT. A copy of the sketch and letter should
also be sent to the planner or development officer
in your community. A surveyor can assist with this
sketch and letter as we have done it many times. The
local planner or development officer will forward
their comments to the Planner at Community Planning
and Infrastructure. Provided the proposed subdivision
meets the zoning by-laws and good planning criteria
the subdivision will be approved and an Approved Sketch
will be issued. The surveyor can then proceed with
the project and register the Plan of Survey at the
Land Titles Office.
How much does it cost to
subdivide a lot? The costs to subdivide
a parcel of land vary considerably but a surveyor
can usually give a reasonably accurate estimate
of the cost of the project. Some of the factors
that influence the cost of a survey are as follows:
a) The community in which the property is located
will determine travel and accommodation costs.
b) The size of the parcel of land and the number
of lots to be created.
c) Will line cutting be involved to indicate the
lot boundaries?
d) How resent are the adjacent surveys and how good
is the survey evidence in the area?
e) The time of year the survey is required will
influence the project costs. In the summer months
the weather is reasonable, digging for survey posts
is not difficult and placing survey posts is relatively
easy. Surveying in the winter months is slower,
digging for survey posts and placing survey posts
is much more difficult.
How long does it take to
subdivide a parcel of land?
The length of time to subdivide a parcel of land
can vary as there are several factors involved,
these are:
a) The length of time it takes to obtain approval
for the survey from the community and Community
Planning and Infrastructure. In some communities
the town planner or development officer will provide
comments regarding the subdivision, while in other
communities the proposed subdivision will be submitted
to the town council or forwarded to a consultant
for comments.
b) Once the survey has been approved then it will
depend to on the workload of the survey company.
During the summer months the survey companies are
very busy and they may not be able to immediately
start work on the project.
c) On some properties mortgages and caveats have
been registered against the title to the land. The
Land Titles Office requires all encumbrancees to
sign the Plan of Survey acknowledging that their
rights may be affected by the transfer of some of
this land. The plan will be forwarded to the encumbrances
for signatures prior to further processing.
d) All Plans of Survey are submitted to the Canada
Centre for Cadastral Management, Legal Surveys Division,
NRCan for review. Depending on their work load the
project may not get reviewed for a couple of weeks.
e) When the results of the review are returned to
the surveyor, he will make the amendments requested
and return the plan to the Canada Centre for Cadastral
Management who will sign off the plan and forward
it to Municipal and Community Affairs, who will
confirm the survey is the same as the Approved Sketch.
f) The Plan of Survey is then forwarded to the Land
Titles Office for registration.
From start to finish a project may
take from 3 to 6 months to complete provided that
subdivision approval is readily forthcoming and
there are no complications.
Real
Property Reports
What
is a Real Property Report?
A Real Property Report is a document which illustrates
the location of a building in relation to the property
boundaries. The document will indicate any eaves,
decks, steps, fuel tanks, easements, retaining walls
and fences that are relevant to the property. The
document will also indicate whether or not the building
encroaches onto other properties and whether or not
other buildings encroach onto this property.
A Real
Property Report will state the present owners of
the property and the number of the Certificate of
Title.
Real
Property Reports were previously called Mortgage
Certificates or Surveyor’s Certificates.
Why
do I need one?
Real Property Reports are required by finance companies
to insure that a building has been constructed on
the property and that there are no factors that
would affect their interests in the property.
Real Property Reports are required by municipalities
to confirm that the building constructed on the
property conforms to the setback requirements of
the zoning by-laws.
How
much do they cost?
The price of a Real Property Report will vary depending
on the location of the building in the community,
the survey evidence in the area, the time of year
and the nature of the building. The cost of a Real
Property Report is based on the amount of time that
the field crew spends on the project. The more time
spend searching for survey evidence the higher the
cost of the Real Property Report. The more features
such as decks, fences, adjacent buildings, sheds,
garages that have to be dealt with the more time
spent on the project and thus a higher cost of the
survey. |
