Cadastre

thumb|Cadastral map from 1827 in Austria ([[Franziszeischer cadastre)]]

thumb|A modern cadastral map for Eastern England

A cadastre or cadaster ( ) is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country. Often it is represented graphically in a cadastral map, though historical written accounts, such as the Domesday Book in England in 1086, were early examples of cadastre.

In most countries, legal systems have developed around original administrative systems and use the cadastre to define the dimensions and location of land parcels described in legal documentation. A land parcel or cadastral parcel is defined as "a continuous area, or more appropriately volume, that is identified by a unique set of homogeneous property rights".

Cadastral surveys document the boundaries of land ownership, by the production of documents, diagrams, sketches, plans (plats in the US), charts, and maps. They were originally used to ensure reliable facts for land valuation and taxation. Cadastral survey information is often a base element in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or Land Information Systems (LIS) used to assess and manage land and built infrastructure. Such systems are also employed on a variety of other tasks, for example, to track long-term changes over time for geological or ecological studies, where land tenure is a significant part of the scenario.

The cadastre is a fundamental source of data in disputes and lawsuits between landowners. Land registration and cadastre are both types of land recording and complement each other.

thumb|Cadastral map of [[Bozen, Tirol, Brixner Kreis Nr 1, 1858]]

Etymology and definition

The word cadastre came into English through French from the Greek (), a list or register, from ()—literally, "(organised) line by line".

A cadastre commonly includes details of the ownership, the tenure, the precise location, the dimensions (and area), the cultivations if rural, and the value of individual parcels of land. Cadastres are used by many nations around the world, some in conjunction with other records, such as a title register.

The International Federation of Surveyors defines cadastre as follows:

A Cadastre is normally a parcel-based, and up-to-date land information system containing a record of interests in land (e.g. rights, restrictions and responsibilities). It usually includes a geometric description of land parcels linked to other records describing the nature of the interests, the ownership or control of those interests, and often the value of the parcel and its improvements.

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History

thumb|A cadastre text written in Akkadian on a terracotta tablet; from the 18th century BC in Sippar, Iraq, and held by the Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul

thumb|Cadastre survey marker from the [[South Tyrol mountains, 2018]]

Some of the earliest cadastres were ordered by Roman Emperors to recover state owned lands that had been appropriated by private individuals, and thereby recover income from such holdings. One such cadastre was done in AD 77 in Campania, a surviving stone marker of the survey reads "The Emperor Vespasian, in the eighth year of his tribunician power, so as to restore the state lands which the Emperor Augustus had given to the soldiers of Legion II Gallica, but which for some years had been occupied by private individuals, ordered a survey map to be set up with a record on each 'century' of the annual rental". In this way Vespasian was able to reimpose taxation formerly uncollected on these lands.

Documentation

Cadastral documentation comprises the documentary materials submitted to cadastre or land administration offices for renewal of cadastral recordings. Cadastral documentation is kept in paper and/or electronic form. Jurisdiction statutes and further provisions specify the content and form of the documentation, as well as the person(s) authorized to prepare and sign the documentation, including concerned parties (owner, etc.), licensed surveyors and legal advisors. The office concerned reviews the submitted information; if the documentation does not comply with stated provisions, the office may set a deadline for the applicant to submit complete documentation.

The concept of cadastral documentation emerged late in the English language, as the institution of cadastre developed outside English-speaking countries. In a Danish textbook, one out of fifteen chapters regards the form and content of documents concerning subdivision and other land matters. Early textbooks of international scope focused on recordings in terms of land registration and technical aspects of cadastral survey, yet note that 'cadastral surveying has been carried out within a tight framework of legislation'. Cadastral documentation is described, e.g. for Finland as follows '8. Surveyor draws up cadastral map and cadastral documents … 10. Surveyor sends cadastral documents to cadastral authority.' In Australia, similar activities are referred to as 'lodgement of plans of subdivision at land titles offices'

Management

Cadastre management has been used by the software industry since at least 2005. It mainly refers to the use of technology for management of cadastre and land information in geographic information systems, spatial data infrastructures and software architecture, rather than to general management issues of cadastral and other land information agencies. and the multipurpose cadastre, considering non-parcel data.

According to the UN Economic Commission for Europe, a "Marine Cadastre describes the location and spatial extent of rights, restrictions and responsibilities in the marine environment". Marine cadastres apply the same governance principles to the water. They help further conservation and sustainability efforts. A related concept is that of marine spatial data infrastructures.

References

External links

Cadastral Template Project, linking to descriptions of national cadastres
EuroGeographics, representing National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies
Permanent Committee on Cadastre in the European Union
http://www.icisociety.ca/
Surveyor General Branch http://sgb.nrcan.gc.ca/
Cadastre in Romania
United States Parcel Map