View source for Boundary (real estate)

[[File:UN prop marker.jpg|thumb|A property marker outside the [[United Nations]] building in New York City.]]
A unit of [[real estate]] or [[immovable property]] is limited by a legal '''boundary''' (sometimes also referred to as a '''property line''', '''lot line''' or '''bounds'''). The boundary (in Latin: ''limes'') may appear as a discontinuation in the terrain: a ditch, a bank, a hedge, a wall, or similar, but essentially, a legal boundary is a conceptual entity, a [[Social constructionism|social construct]], adjunct to the likewise abstract entity of [[property rights]].

A [[cadastral map]] displays how boundaries subdivide land into units of [[ownership]]. However, the relations between society, owner, and land in any culture or [[jurisdiction]] are conceived of in terms more complex than a [[tessellation]]. Therefore, the society concerned has to specify the rules and means by which the boundary concept is materialized and located on the ground.<ref>Turk, Andrew (2007) Representations of Tribal Boundaries of Australian Indigenous Peoples and the Implications for Geographic Information Systems. pp 232 - 244 in Dyson, ''et al'', 2007.</ref>

A 'Western' version of the boundary determination might be a legally specified procedure, performed by a [[Chartered Surveyor|chartered surveyor]], supported by statements from neighbors and pertinent documents, and resulting in official recording in the [[cadastre]] as well as boundary markings in the field. Alternatively, indigenous people represent boundaries through ephemeral performances, such as [[Songlines|song]] and dance, and, when in more permanent form, e.g. paintings or carvings, in an artistic or metaphorical manner.<ref>Muecke, S., Benterrak, K., & Roe P. (1984) Reading the country: An introduction to nomadology. Fremantle, W.A.: Fremantle Arts Centre Press.</ref>

== Identifying boundaries ==
[[File:Property line, crossing is by revocable license only.jpg|thumb|A private property line plaque separating the private property and the public [[Right-of-way (property access)|right of way]] on a [[sidewalk]] in [[New York City]]. It declares that the public may utilize the space inside the private property by a revocable license, to prevent it from becoming a [[prescriptive easement]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jordan|first1=Cora|last2=Randolph|first2=Mary|title=Neighbor law : fences, trees, boundaries, and noise|date=1994|publisher=Nolo Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=9780873372664|edition=2nd|url=http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/easement/easementsacquiredbyuseofproperty.pdf|accessdate=26 July 2014|chapter=Easements Acquired by Use of Property|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318213516/http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/easement/easementsacquiredbyuseofproperty.pdf#|archive-date=2015-03-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>]]

Legal boundaries are usually established by a professional [[surveying|surveyor]] using a [[theodolite|transit]] and or modern [[Global Positioning System|Global Positioning System (GPS)]] technology. The coordinates of the property line are often described on a drawing called a "plot plan" or "[[plat]]" by indicating the length of the boundary along a specific compass bearing in relation to a verifiable "point of beginning". The [[metes and bounds]] method is also used to provide a legal description of a property.

On maps, the line may be marked with {{unichar|214a|PROPERTY LINE|size=200%|html=}}.

The ⅊ symbol may also be used in architectural drawings and CAD design to show plates.<ref>{{cite web|title=Text Symbols and Special Characters Reference|url=https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoCAD-Core/files/GUID-518E1A9D-398C-4A8A-AC32-2D85590CDBE1-htm.html|website=AutoDesk Knowledge Network|publisher=AutoDesk AutoCAD|accessdate=16 February 2016}}</ref>

== Related concepts ==
* [[Land parcel]]
* [[Boundary dispute]]
* [[Butts and bounds]]
* [[Digital Cadastral DataBase]]
* National territories and [[border]]s
* [[Redistribution (economics)|Redistribution]], land consolidation
* [[Surveying]], [[Coordinate system]]
* [[Territory (administrative division)]]
* [[Title (property)]]
* [[Commons]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Dyson, L. E.; Hendriks, M.; Grant, S. (2007) Information Technology and Indigenous People. Information Science Publishing. {{ISBN|1-59904-298-3}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Geography terminology]]
[[Category:Real property law]]
[[Category:Social constructionism]]
[[Category:Surveying]]
[[Category:Land registration]]
[[Category:Ownership]]
[[Category:Curves]]