A Matter of Land | How long must I wait to get back my subdivision plan from my land surveyor?

 

Good day readers. I thank you for your patience with me in responding to your many questions. I also want to thank you for your many e-mails of support and commendation for the information that you are gleaming from the articles.

This year promises to be a wonderful year for A Matter of Land as we will be doing an island wide tour as well as presentations to the wider Diaspora. Today we respond to another question from a reader.

 

Good day Mr Francis,

I read your column every week and I find it very interesting and informative. I would like to ask you a question and hope that you will be able answer.

I have a piece of land that is six acres and last November I had it surveyed as I am selling sections of it and giving my children their portions. The problem is I am unable to get back the documents from the surveyor who did it. I am being told they have not yet come back.

I want to know how long does the process take?

Thank you in advance Mr Francis.

I.C.

 

Good day to you I.C.,

I am happy you read the column every week and that you find it informative and interesting.

To answer your question.

This is a problem my colleagues and I face on a very regular basis the return time on surveys carried out and submitted for approval from the various agencies. This exerts significant pressure on the commissioned land surveyor.

When doing a subdivision survey, as you mentioned, there are several things that have to done. The surveyor conducts a topographic survey of the property as the proposed subdivision plan must include the contours and whatever other feature are on the land,

He then does the design of the subdivision plan and this is submitted to the local authority for its approval.*

When the plan is submitted to the local authority it can take an inordinately long time before it is returned to the surveyor as there are several layers to the approval process, and several other agencies, other than the local authority, which have to sign off on your subdivision application.

The layers and different agencies are what I believe are causing the delay in you getting back your plan, as it is more than likely that it is not yet approved.

Your plan, in addition to going to the local authority, has to go the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the National Water Commission, the National Environmental and Planning Agency, among others, after which it goes to the minister with responsibility for the land and environment, where the final approval is given.

This, you can imagine, takes a significant amount of time to complete. My colleagues and I would love to have the process streamlined and currently the Land Surveyors Association of Jamaica is lobbying to get this changed.

I suggest you continue to communicate with your land surveyor as to the progress. You may also directly communicate with the local authority to keep abreast of the progress being made.

* (We will be dealing with the entire subdivision process when colleague Charles Johnson guest writes in October.)

 

Keep sending your questions and comments and let’s continue to explore A Matter of Land. Until next time traverse well.

Craig Francis is a commissioned land surveyor and managing director of Precision Surveying Services Ltd. He can be contacted for questions or queries at craig_r_francis@yahoo.com or Precision Surveying Services