Illinois Administrative Code
Title 68 - PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Part 1270 - ILLINOIS PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR ACT OF 1989
Appendix A - Rules for the Perpetuation of Monuments Under the Land Survey Monuments Act
a) The Land Survey Monuments Act [765 ILCS 220 ] requires a licensed land surveyor to record a monument record when he/she conducts a survey that uses as a control corner any public land survey monument, or when he/she establishes, re-establishes, restores or rehabilitates any public land survey monument, except when there exists a monument record and the monument is found as described in the record. All licensed land surveyors who conduct surveys pursuant to the Land Survey Monuments Act shall comply with standards set forth in this Section. Violation of the Land Survey Monuments Act shall be considered a Class A misdemeanor pursuant to Section 11 of the Act.
b) Every section corner and quarter section corner is a public land survey monument. The monumentation of other points resulting from the subdivision of a section is not a requirement of the Act. Only when a public land survey monument is used for making a survey is recording of a monument record a requirement of the Act. The licensed land surveyor may utilize information from previous surveys providing it is sufficient to locate, establish or re-establish the public land survey monument and is adequate for preparing the monument record.
c) A monument record means a written and illustrated document describing the physical appearance of a survey monument and its accessories. The monument record shall be presented and recorded in accordance with the following specifications:
1) It shall have an overall width of 81/2 inches and an overall length of 11 inches.
2) It shall have a clear one-half inch border on the top, bottom and both sides.
3) A 3" x 5" block in the upper right corner shall be reserved for the use of the County Recorder of Deeds.
4) Paper on which the form is printed shall have a minimum rag content of 25 percent and shall be 20 pound weight.
5) The height of lettering or typing shall be one tenth of an inch and shall have a clarity suitable for microfilming and reproducing. A maximum of 4 sheets may be used as one document.
6) There shall be no more than 4 monuments shown on each record and all monuments must be for a common section.
7) The surveyor may show geodetic position or other information at his/her option, providing it does not detract from the clarity of the requirements of the monument record.
8) The drawing shall be orientated with North at the top of the form.
9) The monument record shall be recorded at the time of recording the survey if the survey is placed on record, but in no case more than 40 days after the survey is completed.
10) Each monument record shall describe at least 3 accessories or reference points.
11) All monument records shall be signed by a licensed land surveyor or by the chief of a survey party in an agency of the United States government.
d) It is recommended that, in addition to the monument record requirements set forth above, additional data to add to the monument record to aid in future recovery may include the following:
1) the company's job number of the survey project;
2) the date the survey plat was completed;
3) the name of the firm, surveyor's name and field book with page number;
4) distances and bearings to the nearest quarter or section corner monument;
5) general location of ties (i.e., in ditch line, 5' east of edge of pavement, etc.);
6) the amount of cover, if any, over the monument;
7) the proper or government township name;
8) that distances are slope or horizontal;
9) any known history of the monument (e.g., the monument was shown on a plat of survey by Super Surveyors, Inc., dated August 16, 1937, and recorded in Surveyors Book 2, page 29, in the County Recorder's Office).
e) The Land Survey Monuments Act states that a monument shall be in such a physical condition that it remains as permanent a monument as is reasonably possible and, if practical, the Illinois license number of the land surveyor who records the monument record shall be affixed securely to the top of the monument at the public land survey corner. When it is not practical to affix the land surveyor's Illinois license number on the monument, the number may be affixed to one of the reference points.
f) As a minimum the monument must be a standard weight steel pipe, one-half inch diameter, 30 inches long or a solid steel rod one-half inch diameter, 30 inches long.
g) Should the monument fall on a concrete surface, a survey marker permanently anchored into the concrete is acceptable. Should a stone be found and the size is such to make it reasonably permanent, it should remain and ferrous material be placed over or adjacent to the monument to facilitate its recovery.
h) Pursuant to Section 3.04 of the Land Survey Monuments Act, "accessory" is defined as any physical evidence in the vicinity of a survey monument or position thereof, the relative position of which is of public record and which is used to perpetuate the location of the monument.... Ties are considered accessories.
1) If monument record ties are found to have a questionable future, make an effort to establish permanent ties and file a new monument record.
2) In an area void of nearby physical tie points, resort to angular ties such as building corners, the centers or faces of chimneys, steeples, water towers or other structures.
3) A description of a tie point shall be as specific as possible and may include such things as:
A) The exact location on a right of way marker or other square shaped tie, such as apex, northeast corner or center of east face at ground level;
B) Chiseled cross on northwest cap bolt of hydrant;
C) Back of concrete curb at joint of radius return;
D) Chiseled cross on south side of rim on sanitary sewer manhole;
E) Southwest corner of concrete foundation; or
F) Punch mark on top of west end of 15 inch corrugated metal pipe culvert.
i) Other considerations when conducting a survey to establish a monument record:
1) Lower the monument if it appears to be in danger of being destroyed due to grading, road improvement, cultivation, etc.
2) Make an attempt to contact adjoining property owners to ascertain if the monument is generally recognized and accepted to be the corner in question.
3) Make an attempt to show the adjoining property owners, road commissioner or highway official the location of the monument and supply them with a copy of the monument record for future use.
4) Maintain respect for private property. Do not paint or put nails in or survey ribbon on private property without permission.
j) The Division is cognizant of the long range public benefit derived by the perpetuation of the public land survey monuments. The Act has no provision that would exempt a particular type of survey from complying with the Act if a public land survey monument is used. Therefore, strict adherence is a legal requirement.
