Boundary registration systems
- who determine the boundaries?
Sweden ● Austria ● England & Wales
Dr Kristin Land
Lantmäteriet
The Swedish mapping, cadastral and land registration authority
Land management and human rights
Bergen, 8-9 September 2014
Sweden
The Swedish cadastral surveyor
State/Municipal Officer
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investigator
mediator
technical expert
valuator
decision-maker
registrator
No private surveyors
The cadastral procedure
Similar for subdivision and boundary determination
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Application
Investigation
Meeting
Consultation
Field survey
Decision
(Appeal)
Registration
No court involved (unless appealed decision)
The Real Property Register
Text information in sub registers:
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General part (Cadastre)
Land Register part
Tax Assessment part
Address part
Buildings part
Cadastral Index Map
Lantmäteriet
Swedish Tax Agency
municipalities
Lantmäteriet
About boundaries (new or determined)
Usually marked on the ground
The type of demarkation is stated in the technical
description of the cadastral survey
Coordinates noted on the cadastral survey plan
Old cadastral survey plans often lack coordinates or
measurements » graphical representation only
Mirrored on the Cadastral Index Map
Large variations in accuracy from one boundary to
another
Boundary marks
Cadastral survey plan
Cadastral survey plan
Cadastral Index Map
The legal boundary
Hiararchy of evidence
in the Land Code:
1. Boundary marks
stones, iron pipes, pegs etc.
2. Cadastral survey plans or other
documents in cadastral dossiers
3. Possession or other circumstances
indicated by fences, hedges etc.
Cadastral Index Map has no validity
Property determination
• Cadastral procedure for issues of existing parcels
• Often unclear or sometimes disputed boundaries
• Limited possibility for agreement to adjust boundaries
• Legal decision – taking precedence over the former
decision (e.g. subdivision)
• No rules of adverse possession
Real Property Formation Act, Chapter14
Summing up
All boundaries are fixed until changed by cadastral
procedure
Agreements to split, consolidate or adjust properties
without cadastral procedure are null and void
» No possibilities for landowners themselves to
create or adjust boundaries
Austria
Some similarities to Sweden…
… but a dual system
’old’ boundaries - ’new’ boundaries
and more players involved
Cadastral procedure – new boundaries
since 1969
Private (licenced) surveyor
• investigation
• technical expertese
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Landowner &
neighbours
• demarcation
• description
• signing agreement
• cadastral survey:
coordinates
State registration office (BEV)
• quality control
• registration
Land court
• solving dispute
Registration in
Grenzkataster: Cadastre of new boundaries
Cadastral Map with ‘legal coordinates’
• Best evidence, prior to boundary marks etc.
• State guarantee (liability to pay compensation if a faulty
survey causes economic loss)
• Adverse possession not applicable
However…
• Correction of coordinates due to faulty survey
• Recalculation of coordinates due to e.g. land slide
Boundary determination
New boundaries
Private surveyor
reconstruction
(no decision,
no appeal)
Note of information
in Grenzkataster
Old boundaries
Private surveyor
mediation,
leading to
agreement
Land court
solving dispute
Registration in
old Cadastre
England & Wales
A totally different approach…
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Cadastre
cadastral procedure
cadastral surveyors
cadastral surveys
boundary marks
… where landowners are in charge
New boundaries generated ”automatically”
through conveyance (transfer of part)
Land registration in brief
Land tenures:
• Absolute freehold title
• Possessory freehold title
• Leasehold title
Land Register holds data of almost all land
Every registered title has a title number
Registry maps based on topographical maps
Her
Majesty’s
Land
Registry
Ordnance
Survey
Title plan - for identification purposes only
general
boundary
referring to
a physical
feature
Digital index map - for identification purposes only
general
boundary
referring to
a physical
feature
General boundary principle (1)
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Property boundaries not determined/fixed to their
exact location
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Strong connection with physical features:
wall
hedge
fence
ditch
road
river
brook
• Flexible location
General boundary principle (2)
Hierarchy of evidence/implication of a boundary:
1. Deed of conveyance (transfer of part)
Verbal description of plot location
Sketch map, if not for identification purposes only
2. Boundary agreement/declaration
3. Ownership of physical feature
4. Adverse possession
5. Presumption
Disputes
• Mediation by a boundary surveyor
• Court case
» Boundaries remain general
unless converted to ”determined” through a special
procedure involving cadastral survey
» Agreements or court decisions are valid against
the parties involved only, even if registered
unless an explicit statement of validiy against third party