I’m not exactly sure where the phrase “unwritten rights” came from or who came up with the idea of unwritten conveyances in relation to surveying, boundaries and deeds, but it seems that it caught on quickly and then became a universal idea in the land surveying profession.

As I listened to the discussion of government competition at the MAPPS winter conference, I couldn’t help pointing out one of the issues land surveyors face — rights of access.

One of the most common — and erroneous — arguments contributing to the proliferation of purported corner markers representing a single corner is the idea that modern subdivision regulations and field procedures somehow supersede the more traditional legal principles relating to boundary retracement.