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 Sposito

Survey 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.