Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 – 11:45 am
Lunch (On your own): 11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Afternoon Session: 12:45 – 4:30 pm
Locating Land Boundaries on Paper (And on the Ground)
Interpreting land descriptions
• Metes and bounds
• Lot and block
• Dos and don’ts for writing descriptions
Applying principles of boundary location
• Collecting and evaluating all types of boundary evidence:
documents, physical evidence, people, surveys
• Locating the described land on a map
• Locating the described land on the ground
• Understanding and using geographic information systems (GIS)
Solving land description and boundary location problems
Identifying, Classifying and Locating Easements
What is and is not an easement
Reviewing state law on easements
Creating easements: easements by necessity, easements by use, written easements
Identifying critical distinctions between easements in gross,
easements appurtenant and prescriptive easements
Maintaining easements
Knowing when and how to terminate easements
Obstructing use of easements and determining remedies for obstruction
Defining Trespass and Adverse Possession
Defining trespass
Reviewing the history of adverse possession
Maintaining a claim for adverse possession
• Statute of limitations
• Elements of a claim
Defending against a claim for adverse possession
Examining recent adverse possession cases
Understanding Riparian and Water Rights
History and development of riparian rights
Determining land boundaries near the water line
Determining access rights to surface waters
Determining rights to groundwater
Complying with regulations restricting access to and
use of surface water and groundwater
Resolving Boundary Disputes
Types of boundary disputes
• Adverse possession, easements, boundaries
Obtaining and reviewing boundary evidence
Methods for establishing disputed boundaries
Participating in dispute resolution techniques
• Litigation, arbitration, mediation, agreements, title insurance
Examining boundary dispute case studies:
exploring techniques for resolving sample disputes
Credits
Attorneys
6.5 Washington CLE Hours
Washington Paralegals
6.5 CLE Hours
Washington LPOs
6.5 General CE Hours
Engineers & Land Surveyors
6.5 PDHs
Landmen
6.5 AAPL Hours
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public. It has been approved by the Washington State Bar Association for 6.5 CLE hours for attorneys. The WSBA approval extends to Washington paralegals.
The Limited Practice Board of the Washington State Bar Association has approved this course 6.5 general units for limited practice officers.
This course offers 6.5 PDHs to Washington professional engineers and land surveyors, to whom the subject matter is professionally relevant. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Washington.
The American Association of Professional Landmen has accredited this course for 6.5 RL, RPL or CPL recertification credits, which includes no CPL/ESA or ethics credits.
Attendance will be monitored, and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Earl Morriss
Mackay SpositoSurvey Manager at Mackay Sposito in Federal Way, WAMr. Morriss is a Professional Land Surveyor in Washington. As a land surveyor Mr. Morriss has more than 35 years of experience, and he is considered an expert in boundary, easement and title issues. He is currently the survey manager for the Federal Way, Washington, branch office of Mackay Sposito. Mr. Morriss also has a law degree and over the last several years he had a law practice which focused on real property disputes and land title issues. He is an active member of the Land Surveyor’s Association of Washington (LSAW), serving as the 2014 president. Mr. Morriss received his B.S. degree in Urban Studies from Georgia State University and his J.D. degree from Seattle University School of Law. He has made continuing education presentations related to boundary law, boundary adjustments, legal descriptions, easements, and water law, to both attorneys and land surveyors.