Where does my condo end and the hallway begin?

We shine a light on Section 68 of the Strata Property Act.

We cover the default rules for strata boundaries—centerline of walls, floors, and ceilings—and how to properly document exceptions to the rule.

Key Study Points:

Section 68 Default: The "center of the wall" rule for contiguous strata lots.

Custom Boundaries: When and how boundaries can be defined by the exterior face of a wall.

The Exam Trap: Failing to explicitly state on the plan when a boundary deviates from the statutory default, leading to future maintenance disputes.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Strata Boundaries

Strata Property Act (Section 68)

08 - PRM Chapter 9 (Strata Title Surveys)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

They look identical in the ground, but legally, they are worlds apart.

We illuminate the critical distinction between a Witness Post (which testifies to the location of a specific corner) and an Offset Post (which marks a boundary line, but not a corner).

Key Study Points:

The Legal Difference: A Witness Post is tied to a specific point; an Offset Post defines a vector/line.

Plan Drafting: How to correctly symbolize and annotate both types on a legal plan so they are never confused.

The Exam Trap: Using an "Offset Post" to witness a corner, destroying the legal certainty of the intersecting boundary.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Witness vs. Offset Posts

Survey and Plan Rules

06 - PRM Chapter 7 (Field Work)

07 - PRM Chapter 8 (Principles of Boundary Surveys)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

What do you do when the true corner is in the middle of a river or inside a concrete pillar?

We shed light on the strict rules for "Witness Posts."

Learn how to properly monument, mark, and record a W.T. on your plan so future surveyors can find the invisible corner.

Key Study Points:

When to Witness: The criteria for when a true corner is "inaccessible."

Marking Requirements: The specific "W.T." stamping and bearing/distance inscriptions required on the post.

The Exam Trap: Placing a witness post too far from the true corner, violating the SPR distance limitations.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Witness Posts

Survey and Plan Rules

06 - PRM Chapter 7 (Field Work)

07 - PRM Chapter 8 (Principles of Boundary Surveys)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

You cannot build a strata on a shaky foundation.

We illuminate the mandatory requirement to fully re-establish the "Parent Parcel" before any strata plan can be filed.

Learn why cutting corners on the external boundary is the fastest way to a disciplinary hearing.

Key Study Points:

Full Re-establishment: Why the entire perimeter of the land must be surveyed and proven.

The Containment Rule: Ensuring the new building is 100% within the proven bounds.

The Exam Trap: Assuming a recently surveyed boundary by another firm allows you to skip tying into the legal monuments for your own strata plan.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Strata Parent Parcel Requirements

Strata Property Act

Survey and Plan Rules

08 - PRM Chapter 9 (Strata Title Surveys)

07 - PRM Chapter 8 (Principles of Boundary Surveys)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

When a parent parcel monument goes missing on a strata site, how do you put it back?

We illuminate the strict rules for resetting posts on strata plans, ensuring the integrity of the external boundary is never compromised by internal building measurements.

Key Study Points:

The Parent Parcel: Re-establishing the primary boundary before touching the strata units.

Resetting Protocols: The SPR requirements for filing a posting plan when replacing monuments.

The Exam Trap: Using the "as-built" face of the building to calculate the property corner without verifying the original boundary control.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Resetting Posts on Strata Plans

Strata Property Act

Survey and Plan Rules

08 - PRM Chapter 9 (Strata Title Surveys)

06 - PRM Chapter 7 (Field Work - Post Renewal Forms)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

Patios, parking stalls, and yards: shedding light on Limited Common Property (LCP).

We break down the absolute requirement to physically measure LCP areas rather than just copying the architect's conceptual drawings.

Key Study Points:

LCP Definition: Exclusive use vs. ownership.

Dimensioning Standards: How to accurately represent LCP boundaries on the strata plan.

The Exam Trap: Scaling dimensions off a building plan. If you certify it, you must measure it.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Requirement to Measure LCP

Strata Property Act

Survey and Plan Rules

08 - PRM Chapter 9 (Strata Title Surveys)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

Clearing the fog on boundary re-establishment.

When old plans don't match the ground, what is the legal path forward?

We illuminate the hierarchy of evidence, focusing on how a professional surveyor weights documentary evidence against physical reality.

Key Study Points:

Evaluating Evidence: How to document and prove that a monument is "undisturbed."

The Hierarchy in Practice: Why a bent iron pin might trump a perfect CAD calculation.

The Exam Trap: Reverting to mathematical proportioning before fully exhausting the search for original physical evidence.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Re-Establishing Boundaries

Survey and Plan Rules

Common Law Precedents (Hierarchy of Evidence)

07 - PRM Chapter 8 (Principles of Boundary Surveys)

16 - PRM Appendix A (Hearsay and Parol Evidence)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz

Water moves, but title lines are stubborn.

We illuminate how to handle natural boundaries when you're just trying to file a simple posting plan.

Do you have to re-survey the whole shoreline?

We cover the critical distinctions between present natural boundaries and registered plan boundaries.

Key Study Points:

Present vs. Titled: When to show the current water level versus the historical boundary.

Statutory Anchor: Section 108 of the Land Title Act (Return to Crown).

The Exam Trap: Showing an altered natural boundary on a posting plan without addressing the legal mechanism for accretion or erosion.

Sources & Required Reading:

ABCLS IB - Natural Boundaries on Posting Plans

Land Title Act (Sec 94-118)

Survey and Plan Rules

07 - PRM Chapter 8 (Principles of Boundary Surveys)

Resources: IB PDF | Infographic | Quiz