SB176: relative to standards for plats recorded in the registry of deeds.

CHAPTER 103

SB 176 – FINAL VERSION

07Jan2004… 2393h

2004 SESSION

03-1145

05/09

SENATE BILL 176

AN ACT relative to standards for plats recorded in the registry of deeds.

SPONSORS: Sen. Johnson, Dist 2

COMMITTEE: Public Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes standards for plats submitted for recording in the registry of deeds.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

07Jan2004… 2393h

03-1145

05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Four

AN ACT relative to standards for plats recorded in the registry of deeds.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

103:1 Registers of Deeds; Recording of Plats. Amend RSA 478:1-a to read as follows:

478:1-a Recording of Plats.

I. No register of deeds shall file or record a plat of a subdivision, or a plat prepared for the purpose of showing existing property lines, if such plat has not been prepared and certified by a licensed land surveyor, since July 1, 1981, or by a registered land surveyor between January 1, 1970 and June 30, 1981, and any such filing or recording shall be void. For the purposes of this section the definition of the word "subdivision” shall be that contained in RSA 672:14. A “plat” for the purpose of this section shall be a map of a specific land area whose boundaries are defined by metes and bounds. A plat may show:

(a) Newly created parcels, streets, alleys, and easements as in a subdivision; or

(b) A lot-line-adjustment or site plan depicting existing parcels defined by legal descriptions contained in deeds, grants, or other legal documents.

II. Each register of deeds shall establish a policy for providing adequate space, on the plat, for recording the registry plan number and recording information.

III. The register of deeds shall refuse for recording any map that does not meet the definition of a plat under paragraph I and any plat that does not contain the information or meet the specifications required by this section. Construction plans, construction details, and maps that do not define the limits or extent of legal rights or interest in land shall not be recorded.

IV. All plats shall be drawn with the following sizes: 8.5" x 11," 11" x 17," 17" x 22," 22"x 34," or such specifications and sizes as may be required by the register of deeds. The material composition of the plats shall be suitable for electronic scanning and archiving by the register of deeds.

V. All plats shall have a minimum of 1/2 inch margins on all sides.

VI. All text and dimensions shall be legible for reproduction, and the text sizes shall be no smaller than .08 of an inch for mechanical drafting and 1/8 inch for hand drafting.

VII. All certifications, seals, and approval blocks shall have original dates and signatures in a legible, permanent black ink.

VIII. All title blocks shall be located in the lower right hand corner, when possible, and shall indicate the following:

(a) Type of survey, such as a boundary survey, subdivision, American Land Title Association (ALTA) survey, or lot line adjustment.

(b) Owner of record.

(c) Title of plat or development.

(d) Tax map number.

(e) Name of the town in which the parcel is located.

(f) Plat and revision dates.

IX. All plats shall have a scale both as a written and graphic representation.

X. All plats shall have a north arrow with reference to magnetic grid or astronomic north, as applicable. The north arrow shall be labeled with its reference direction.

XI. Shading over any text shall not be permitted on any plat. Cross hatching or other hatching at a scale large enough not to interfere with text legibility, before and after reproduction, may be permitted.

XII. No lines, whether hatching, boundary lines, or topographic contours shall obstruct or interfere with the legibility, either before or after reproduction, of any bearings, dimensions, or text.

XIII. The minimum line widths on plats shall not be smaller than .01 inches.

103:2 Repeal. RSA 478:13-a, relative to recording of plans, is repealed.

103:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2005.

(Approved: May 17, 2004)

(Effective Date: January 1, 2005)