Redrawing Parcels
When redrawing parcels, it's ideal to redraw the full block unless measurements and/or visual comparison show that the parcels of the block already match their documented form. If DATE_EDITE is older than 2013 then you can most likely improve it significantly by doing a redraw of the full block at once.
Contents
Plats
If ABSTORSUBN doesn't start with an 'A', check the ABSTORSU_1 field and look that up in the Utilities laserfiche under Design > Plats. Start with the newest and work backwards until you've entered the full subdivision.
It's convenient to create plat and block boundaries as a temporary parcel, then redraw the parcels inside of it.
When you enter a full circuit in the traverse tool you can check the "closed loop" box and then check the mismatch, which is useful for checking if you mis-entered any numbers. If the numbers are small (less than .01 feet is good, higher is fine after checking for mistakes) click the adjust button and hit ok so that it will adjust all of the metes so that the start and end point match. This feature only works if you create the whole thing with the traverse tool, which is sometimes an issue, but it's very useful for catching data entry errors.
Deeds
For parcels with an abstract for their subdivision, do a property search on dcad's website using PROP_ID, view the details, then hit end to scroll to the bottom where there is usually a Deed section. Use the newest
Go to the county clerk's document search site, which is not easy to find since it has no domain.
Document Number
Ex: "2014-92284" Select "Document Number" from the second dropdown, enter "92284" and search, then click the result from year 2014.
Volume and Page
Ex: "1034-678" Select "Volume/Page" from the second dropdown, enter "1034" in the first box, "678" in the second, search, and there's usually just one result to click
Then you have to click the "View Image" tab above the document info on the right. The metes and bounds of the tract are usually referred to as Exhibit A and on the second to last page.
Fitting Everything together
Use your most accurate parcel[s] in the block as a base. A good metric is parcels from plats that had gps coordinates, then by age. I don't have a great solution for keeping track of age, so it's good to fit things together as you go so you remember which parcel was from a barely readable 1972 deed and which was from the crisp 2006 deed.
The first step is to rotate two parcels or parcel groups to correct for the difference in their orientation. When one document says "N 88-49-50 E" and another describes the same segment as "N 87-56-14 E", you'll need to rotate one. There is an excel spreadsheet set up as a Rotation calculator
Then you have to start fudging things together. Again, favor new over old and split some differences until you've got a sparkly mass.
Now symbolize the parcels as just a thin black outline and turn off all other layers. This will let you see where you have mismatched vertices on boundaries between parcels. These lines will appear thicker in places because they will alias differently due to not being perfectly identical. Add and adjust vertices until it looks clean.
You should have been saving throughout. Now commit the changes, then export the block and send it to DCAD so they can benefit from your improved parcel geometry. There are several good reasons to do this last step.
General Notes
- The older the measurements, the more they need to be corrected by rotating them counterclockwise. Newish stuff often needs rotating a little too.
- Sometimes GPS coordinates will be wildly wrong. Coordinates from 2013 and later seem to be accurate
