Survey Practice and Legislation

Strata Title Documents

Identification Survey Reports on Strata Lots

Revision No – A

C REATED –5 J UNE 2011

SURVEYING ….. OPEN UP YOUR WORLD

Level 4, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Phone: (02) 9264 2076
All Correspondence to be sent to: Fax: (02) 9261 8102
PO Box 104, Darlinghurst NSW 1300 Email: isnsw@surveyors.org.au
Web: www.surveyors.org.au
IDENTIFICATION SURVEY REPORTS ON STRATA LOTS
Identification reports on strata units are fairly rare now, so it would be reasonable to
enquire the purpose of the report to try to pin down the particular concern.
Concerns could include:
Unit numbering not matching lot numbering
Floor numbers on site not matching level numbers in Strata Plan
Strata Plan being part of a confusing staged scheme or part building strata
Ambiguities of ownership due to legislation
Obligations regarding parts of the structure or fencing
Implications of structures erected after registration of the strata plan
Lot or part lot areas
Most of the presentation suggestions in the ISNSW policy document on Identification
Surveys will apply.
As for Survey Reports on non-strata properties it is recommended the report be in
letter form addressed to the client and limited to the particular transactions.
Search as a minimum should include the Strata Plan, the CP title, the lot title and
any strata plans of subdivision or easement plans affecting the subject lot. By-laws
may also need to be searched.
Generally the purpose of the report will be to act as the "eyes" for a purchaser,
solicitor or financier who may not necessarily visit the unit or may not be able to read
a Strata Plan.
The report will thus cover an audit of the lot and the strata plan (generally by
inspection) to assess anything stated by the client to be a concern and any other
item the surveyor regards as significant to the client. Any significant matters not
covered in the report should be mentioned such as "positions of perimeter fences
have not been investigated for the purpose of this report".
Rather than re-draw a sketch the relevant sheets of the strata plan can be attached
with the parts of the subject lot colour-highlighted.
Financiers like to see the words "Lot ?in SP ? is the same as Unit ? on the ? floor of
"UNITLAND" No., Street, Suburb and consists of unit, courtyard, carspace, store
etc.
Unless requested the area would generally not be re-measured and any reference to
the lot area should be qualified as being sourced from the strata plan itself.
Unless requested the By-laws may not necessarily be investigated as they are
attached to the contract for sale.
A typical report could be set out:
Paragraph 1. - Acknowledge instruction, specify transaction,
specify date of search, mention annexure of coloured SP.
Paragraph 2. - Identify lot, SP, locality, LGA, Parish, County,
Title.

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 Paragraph 3. - Relate lot and SP to the description of the unit
Paragraph 4. - Make comments on matters concerning the
strata plan, unit or CP that have been identified by inspection as relevant.
Paragraph 5. - Make comment on structure, defining ownership
and any ambiguous items such as air conditioners, hot water services, pergolas,
floor and wall tiles, floating timber floors, retaining walls in courtyards etc.
Paragraph 6. - List any matters that could possibly be relevant
that have not been addressed (e.g. By-laws, fencing etc.).
Paragraph 7. - List any relevant notations on the titles of the lot
or CP.
Paragraph 8. - State unit entitlement of the lot (include the UE
sheet of the SP with the subject UE highlighted).

Sign as "Registered Land Surveyor Surveying and Spatial Information

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