FIELD NOTE GUIDELINES

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION

SURVEYING SERVICES

CITY OF DALLAS

REVISED JUNE, 1996

The following guidelines are to be used and incorporated into the preparation of real
property descriptions for fee title conveyances, rights of way, easements, lease
agreements, abandonments, licenses, etc., either for or on behalf of the City of
Dallas. Field notes will be subjected to a review process to insure substantial
compliance with both the form and content outlined in these guidelines. Your
cooperation is needed to assist the City of Dallas in preparing and processing the
legal instruments to which these field note descriptions can be relied upon to provide
certain relevant information in a reasonably standard format. Surveys and field note
descriptions must meet all of the rules of the Texas Board of Professional Land
Surveying, and fully comply with the Professional Land Surveying Practices Act. For
the laws regarding land surveying and the preparation of field note descriptions,
please refer to the publications of the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying.

Field notes for the purposes of these guidelines are defined as a worded metes and
bounds description of the results of an on the ground survey of real property. Field
notes shall include sufficient information to identify the location, boundaries,
monumentation, and area of the described tract, as well as its relationship to the
parent tract out of which it was surveyed. Each field note description will be
accompanied by a sketch or plat which graphically depicts the worded
description.

Field notes submitted to the Survey Section for review shall be typed on plain 8 2@ x
11" white bond paper and shall include at least two sets bearing the original seal,
date, and signature of the responsible surveyor. All originals are to be of high
reproductive quality and legibility.

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Each of the two sets of field note descriptions are to consist of the following three
parts:

PART 1 - HEADING

This part shall appear on the top of each page and include the following information:

C The type of conveyance for which the tract is being described, i.e.
drainage easement, street widening, corner clip, water easement,
wastewater easement, covenant, abandonment, license agreement,
ingress-egress, etc. Include proposed width and area.

C The official city block number affected or adjacent block numbers.

C The name of the effected roadway on right-of-way acquisition projects,

creek, etc. if applicable.

PART 2 - GENERAL DESCRIPTION OR STATEMENT

This section provides information to generally identify and locate both the described
tract and the parent tract, and shall include the following information:

C The Survey and Abstract number.

C The area described by the field notes. State the area in square feet
where the total area is less than 1 acre and in acres otherwise.

C The subdivision name, lot and block designation, when applicable,

citing the appropriate County (Dallas, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, Ellis,
Tarrant) Records recording information. A legible copy of the
recorded plat cited must be supplied with the field notes.

C Official City of Dallas Lot and Block numbers (sometimes different from
Addition Plat lot and Block numbers).

C The current record owner=s name and the type of conveyance

instrument, i.e. Warranty Deed, Quit Claim Deed, etc.. A Deed of Trust

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 does not convey title, and therefore is not acceptable. A legible copy
of the recorded instrument must be supplied with the field notes.

C The conveyance instrument recording information, (Deed Record,

Volume and Page, cause Number, execution date, etc.).

C The city, county, and state where the described tract is located.

C All right of way abandonments must include reference information as to

how the right of way was created, such as by deed with volume and
page, date, or dedicated by Addition, with recording information.

PART 3 - BODY, PRINCIPLE, OR PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION

This part shall contain specific information identifying the boundary of the described
tract. As a general rule, descriptions should be written with the calls proceeding in a
clockwise direction from the point of beginning. The mathematical figure described
must close with a precision of at least 1 : 15,000. The following items should be
clearly identified within this part of the description:

C The point of beginning, identifying the type and size of monument found
or set, and it=s relationship to the parent tract, explaining which corner
of the described tract it represents. As a general rule, the Point of
Beginning shall be tied to a dedicated street intersection, or recorded
Addition lot corner. All monuments set shall be iron rods capped with
Surveyors Registration Number, or company name, where permissible.

C Points of reference or commencement, if applicable, identifying the

types and size of monuments and their relationship to the point of
beginning.

C Metes and bounds calls, stating bearings in degrees, minutes, and

seconds, and distances in feet and hundredths of feet.

C Curved lines should be defined by their direction left or right, angle of

intersection or central angle, radius, arc length, and chord bearing and
distance. Non-tangent curves should be identified as such.

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 C References to adjoining properties (calls for adjoiners), right-of-ways
(indicating width), natural or physical locative features, witness or
reference monumentation, etc., which would help to identify or clarify
the described boundaries.

C Reference discrepancies, noting when recorded measurements and

field measurements differ.

C Clearly state the basis on which the bearings cited in the description
were established. This shall include the bearing of an identifiable line
(Cite / label the controlling monuments). Reference or cite the
recording information of the instrument.

C Type and Volume and Page or any covenants, licenses, or easements

the described tract is ASUBJECT TO@.

C Each page of multiple pages must be referenced to each other, with

page number plus total number of pages included, i.e. Page 1 of 4.

SKETCH, PLAT, OR STRIP MAP

Field note descriptions shall be accompanied by a sketch or plat produced on plain 8

2" x 11" white bond paper bearing the seal, date, and signature of the responsible
surveyor. All copies shall be of high reproductive quality and legibility. In an
instance where the field note description represents a part of a larger plat or strip
map, you will be requested to reproduce the appropriate portion of the larger plat or
map. Sketches or plats shall show the following:

C All bearings and distances referred to in the field note description.

C Location of the point of beginning and any reference points.

C A legend which includes symbols for all monumentation found or set.

C The graphic scale, a reference to north, and the date of the survey.

C The name(s) of present owners of record of the described tract,

showing the recording information cited in the field note description.

C Area of described tract.

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 C The relationship of the described tract to its parent tract, showing any
appropriate lot and block designations, subdivision names, and
recording information.

C Information to identify adjoining properties or locative features,

including subdivision, lot and block designations, names of adjoining
owners of record and volume and page references to instruments
defining adjoining boundaries, including roadways (widths) or prominent
natural features.

C A notation describing the basis of bearings. This shall include the

bearing of an identifiable line (Cite / label the controlling monuments).
Reference or cite the recording information of the instrument.

C Each page of multiple pages must be referenced to each other, with

page number plus total number of pages included, i.e. Page 1 of 4.

C Reference discrepancies, i.e. measured bearings and distances vs.

recorded bearings and distances.

C Easements shall be shown and identified by width, use and ownership,

where applicable.

Locator Map

Locator maps are used for Council Agenda items. It is drawn on plain 8 2" x 11"
bond paper - not necessarily to scale - which generally indicates the subject parcel
boundaries and including readily recognized streets. The effected parcel shall be
cross hatched. No company letter heads or logos please. A legend shall denote
the purpose of the cross hatched area, i.e. Area to be acquired for Street Widening;
Area to be acquired for Drainage Easement; etc. As the locator map will not be filed
for record, it will not be necessary to number this page.

Describing Easements

Easements will be prepared by metes and bounds, unless prior approval is granted
to use another method of description. Descriptions for easements will be subject to
the same guidelines as for fee title or right of way conveyances, with the exception
that it will generally not be required to monument all easement corners, as long as
sufficient monumentation is provided. However, there may be exceptions and
situations where all of the easement corners must be monumented as determined by

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the City of Dallas. All metes and bounds descriptions prepared for easements shall
be tied to physical monuments of record related to the boundary of the affected tract.

Temporary Work Spaces

Temporary work spaces will require a metes and bounds description, when a
temporary work space is prepared to accompany and adjoin a permanent easement.
The guidelines for easements will be used for temporary work spaces.

The following checklist is provided for your convenience.

Field Note Checklist

For your help in field note submittal to the Survey Services Section of the Public
Works and Transportation Department, have you included the following where
applicable:

Two (2) sets of signed, sealed and dated field notes of the R.P.L.S. who
prepared description.

Part One (1) - Heading

Type of conveyance.

City lot and block number or adjacent block numbers.

Name of effected roadway, creek, project, etc.

Part Two (2) - General Description or Statement

Area described by field notes (must be in square feet if less than 1

acre).
Current record owners name.

Type of conveyance instrument (Deed of Trust not acceptable).

Copy of recorded instrument attached.

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 Recording information - V & P. cause number, execution date, etc.

Survey name, abstract number.

Subdivision name, lot and block designation and county land records
recording information. Copy of subdivision map must be supplied with
recording information.

Official City of Dallas lot and block numbers (sometimes different from
Addition Plat numbers).

City, County and State.

Part Three (3) - Body, Principle, or Particular Description

Point of Commencing.

Point of Beginning.

Iron rods or monuments set or found noted (size, type, with plastic cap
stamped R.P.L.S. # or company name.

Basis of Bearing to an identifiable line.

Curve data, direction left or right., tangent or non-tangent, with all

significant elements.

Adjoining properties - Any adjoining property calls must have recording

information, with copies of recorded deeds attached.

Any easements, covenants, licenses, etc., that tract is ASubject To@

included in description and shown on sketch. Note: Recorded copies of
instrument must be furnished.

Seal, signature and date of R.P.L.S. who prepared description.

Page Reference.

Part Four (4) - Sketch, Plat or Map

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Current ownership labeled as called in field notes.

All bearings and distances as referred to in field notes, noting

differences in record and measured.

P.O.B. and/or P.O.C. shown.

Ownership or Addition name of all adjoined properties called in field

notes (Vol. & Pg.).

Legend or symbols for monuments found or set.

Graphic scale noted.

North reference.

Notation for basis of bearings (Vol. & Pg.) with controlling monuments,
indicating size and type, shown.

Area notation in square feet or acres of prepared description.

Seal, signature and date of R.P.L.S. who prepared description.

Page Reference

Identify specific purpose areas shown on plat (detention area,

escarpment area, floodway easement, park and common areas, etc.).

Corporation (City Limits) and County Lines, where applicable.

Easements - show and identify all easements with width, use and
ownership (where applicable).

All curve elements are shown, including central angle, radius, arc
length, chord bearing and distance. Identify non-tangent curves.

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 Part Five (5) - Locator Map

Recognizable streets.

Effected parcel shaded or hatched.

Legend