Surveys, Legal Descriptions, and Boundary Records in Michigan

Survey Regulation and Property Recording Statutes
Michigan Compiled Laws §54.201–§54.305
and related recording statutes governing county registers of deeds

Michigan Land Division Guide

This article is part of the Northern Michigan Land Ownership Guide, which explains property tax classifications, parcel division rules, and regulatory structures affecting rural land in Northern Michigan.

Metes and Bounds Descriptions

Many rural parcels in Northern Michigan use metes and bounds legal descriptions.

Metes and bounds descriptions define parcel boundaries through measured distances and directional bearings.

These descriptions reference physical monuments, survey markers, or established boundary points.

Metes and bounds descriptions commonly appear in parcels created outside the subdivision platting process.

Government Survey System

Michigan land descriptions frequently reference the Public Land Survey System (PLSS).

The PLSS divides land into:

townships
ranges
sections

A standard township contains thirty-six sections, each approximately one square mile.

Legal descriptions may reference fractional portions of sections or government lots within those sections.

Land Surveys

Land surveys are performed by licensed professional surveyors.

Surveys identify boundary locations based on legal descriptions, existing monuments, and historical survey records.

Survey documentation may identify:

parcel boundary lines
boundary monuments
easements
rights-of-way
access easements

Survey drawings may be recorded with the county register of deeds or maintained in professional survey records.

Boundary Monuments

Parcel boundaries are frequently marked by survey monuments.

Examples include:

iron rods
capped survey stakes
concrete monuments
stone markers

Survey monuments establish reference points used to define parcel boundaries.

Easements and Recorded Rights

Property records may identify easements affecting land parcels.

Common easements include:

access easements
utility easements
drainage easements
shoreline or conservation easements

Easements are typically documented in recorded property records and may appear on surveys or parcel maps.

Surveys and Land Divisions

Surveys frequently appear in documentation associated with land divisions governed by the Michigan Land Division Act.

Survey documentation may be used to:

establish legal descriptions for newly created parcels
identify access easements
document parcel boundaries for recording purposes

Survey information commonly accompanies land division approvals and recorded parcel descriptions.

Michigan Land Division Act: Structure and Function

Title Commitments and Boundary Exceptions

Title commitments issued during real estate transactions may reference survey information and recorded boundary documentation.

Title commitments may include boundary exceptions when survey data has not been reviewed or when boundary locations are not insured by the title policy.

Survey documentation may be used to clarify boundary locations referenced in title commitments and related property records.

Recorded Property Records

Boundary documentation is maintained in property records held by the county register of deeds.

Recorded records may include:

deeds containing legal descriptions
recorded surveys
easement documents
land division documentation

These records form part of the public documentation associated with land ownership.

Summary

Land ownership in Michigan is documented through legal descriptions, surveys, and recorded property records.

Metes and bounds descriptions, government survey references, boundary monuments, recorded easements, and survey documentation define parcel boundaries.

These records establish the documented framework associated with land ownership and parcel boundaries.