Land survey: find your boundaries, divide your plot

The land parcel (Flurstück) is the unit of the real estate cadastre: a surveyed area of land with fixed boundaries. It is named by district (Gemarkung), section (Flur) and parcel number, for example Flur 2, Flurstück 45/3. The property (Grundstück) is the unit of the land register: what is listed under its own number in the register of a land register sheet. It consists of one or more whole parcels.

So parcels are surveyed, divided and merged. Properties are sold, mortgaged and inherited. What you call "my property" in everyday life, for example house and garden, can therefore be two or three parcels.

The difference matters if you want to sell part of your land or transfer it to your neighbour. It must first become a separate parcel through a subdivision survey. Only then can the land register record it as a property of its own or add it to the neighbouring property. The other way round, several parcels of one property can be combined into one by merging.

When we establish a boundary (Grenzfeststellung), a boundary point is fixed officially for the first time. We determine its position, measure it and establish it with the owners involved (§ 29 GeoVermG M-V).

Restoring a boundary (Grenzwiederherstellung) concerns boundary points that have already been established. If the marker can no longer be found, is destroyed or needs to be checked, we use the data of the real estate cadastre to put the point back on site. This confirms it officially (§ 29 Abs. 5 GeoVermG M-V).

A boundary point is established when its position is clearly recorded in the official coordinate reference system and the decision on its position, made with the parties involved, can no longer be challenged (§ 29 Abs. 1 GeoVermG M-V). This usually applies to all boundary points that have already been part of a boundary appointment (Grenztermin).

Abmarkung means marking a boundary point permanently and visibly with a boundary marker. The word also means the administrative procedure that goes with it (§ 30 GeoVermG M-V). In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the boundary points of property boundaries must generally be marked.

Apart from the final marking (Schlussabmarkung), setting markers is not a survey of its own. It is part of establishing a boundary, restoring a boundary or a subdivision.

No. Markers can be left out if

• the boundary point can be seen clearly enough from a permanent structure, for example the corner of a wall or a fence post,
• markers would make farming unreasonably difficult, for example on fields or meadows,
• the owners or holders of a heritable building right jointly apply to do without them,
• the boundary point belongs to land for public use,
• the boundary point lies on the shoreline or in a body of water, or
• the marking would cost far too much effort.

If construction work is in the way, the marking can be postponed. The owners must then have it done at their own cost once the obstacle is gone. This is the final marking (Schlussabmarkung), in building areas usually after the roads and utilities or the outdoor areas are finished.

All neighbours concerned are told about the boundary appointment. However, not everyone has to attend in person. The appointment and the setting of markers can take place anyway. We handle this as an official surveying body.

At first, nothing. Boundary markers show the boundaries on site. The course of the boundary and the ownership follow the official cadastral records.

Without a visible marker, however, disputes with neighbours can arise quickly, for example when building a fence or a garage. The physical marker of the boundary point should therefore be restored.

Important: Boundary markers must not be removed or set by yourself. Removing boundary markers on purpose or by negligence can lead to high fines (§ 26 Abs. 4 GeoVermG M-V).

The legal course of the boundary stays the same. But the physical marker of the boundary point must be restored. Acting quickly saves a lot of trouble.

Never set a boundary marker yourself, even if you roughly know the old position (§ 26 Abs. 4 GeoVermG M-V). Only a publicly appointed surveying engineer or the responsible cadastre office may restore the boundary point.

Both create new parcels from one parcel. In a Zerlegung (subdivision) we determine all existing and new boundaries on site, establish or restore them and mark them if needed.

A Sonderung works without a survey on site. The new boundary points are neither shown nor marked, so it is only possible under special conditions. The markers usually follow later with the final marking (Schlussabmarkung).

Yes, by merging them (Verschmelzung). The parcels must lie next to each other, form an economic unit and be recorded on the same land register sheet under the same number. The land registry must also have no objections, and there must be no other reasons against it, such as different charges. We do the preliminary check and the enquiry at the land registry.

If the parcels are listed under different numbers, they can first be united into one property under § 890 Abs. 1 BGB. As publicly appointed surveying engineers, we prepare the application and certify it (§ 27 GeoVermG M-V). For a building application this can save costs, for example because a chargeable public-law obligation to treat the plots as one (Vereinigungsbaulast) is no longer needed.