Definition of a Lost Corner

Although the task of surveying is meant to convey measurement and dimension with a high degree of accuracy, over time, previously-obtained data is often lost or compromised. In surveying, a lost corner indicates a surveyed parcel where the exact location of at least one corner of the lot is not known.

Purpose of the lost corner

The lost corner is a place among a group of many lots where the proper dimensions of the lot corners are muddled and unclear. When a lost corner appears among a collection of accumulated data, the task of the surveyor is to attempt to determine the location of the lost corner by studying the oldest records first and working through additional measurements chronologically, and care is advised to preserve the original known measurements of the lot without amending those measurements against newer data. In nearly every state, court cases to determine the proper location of lost corners have ensued, with the courts basing the lost corner on the oldest available information.

Consideration when searching for a lost corner

Lost corners are meant to indicate incomplete survey data; however, some careless surveyors in the past have amended questionable or uncertain measurements to define them as lost corners as a way to bypass efforts to determine the true location of the corner. Work in this manner is unethical and careless, and surveyors should make every attempt possible to ascertain the true location of lost corners to aid in preserving the oldest lot measurements.

Lost corners are complicated problems for surveyors, requiring an investment of time dedicated to studying historical data to correct the missing measurements.